Sounding Rockets! Show me your unmanned converted fireworks!

[EVA_Reentry]

Hey y'all. Just extracted meself from the depths of Wikipedia with a wonderful idea: sounding rockets! 

Sounding rockets are small, hopefully unmanned vehicles that bring scientific payloads to suborbital/LEO. NASA started this way. So I tried it in Kerbal, and created a stock Aerobee and Black Brant IX.

A few 'limitations', perhaps:

Fuselage either 0.625m or 1.25m

two stage

capable of LKO or suborbital

Payload with at least 1 scientific instrument

All mods except Sounding Rockets

Tweakscaling parts is OK

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For more ideas, go to wikipedia or look up 'sounding rockets'

I tried making a launch tower with girders that would lean back like a Soyuz, but they always blasted my rockets off the launchpad

Try and return the payload!

[selfish_meme]

Theres actually a sounding rockets mod

[EVA_Reentry]

I know, I'm looking for stock or somewhat modded rockets, using a mod specifically intended for sounders is kind of sort of defeating the purpose 

 

 

 

[pTrevTrevs]

Sounding rockets, huh? Well, I have this one, it was designed as a sounding rocket but the third stage actually gave it enough power to put the recovery package into an 80 x 170 kilometer orbit.... I guess I didn't need it, but solid fueled upper stages are fun!

[EVA_Reentry]

Nice! Love the use of solar panels as an engine shroud. Those seperatrons or something modded?

[322997am]

1 hour ago, EVA_Reentry/Strangelove II said:

Nice! Love the use of solar panels as an engine shroud. Those seperatrons or something modded?

I'm willing to bet money there sepratrons.

[EVA_Reentry]

Ayuh. Reck'n so

[Guest]

@HarvesteR should get in on this...  I might make som soon.  I can't right now because I'm installing Ubuntu on a dual boot.  (It's really a tri-boot because I also have a windows installation)

[pTrevTrevs]

5 hours ago, 322997am said:

I'm willing to bet money there sepratrons.

Yup, that stage is two cubic struts with eight separatrons clustered together (the thrust is limited to 30% to prevent overly high acceleration and give a longer burn time) with the four solar panels to look cool. 

I usually use some sort of solid fueled booster stage whenever I build an early date lit launcher/ICBM. It worked for NASA with Explorer, it can work for me too!

[EVA_Reentry]

I see. Got a name for it? 

Can it's payload be modified?