Topic summary
Sounding rockets
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Sounding rocket.
Design
Sounding rockets have used balloons, aeroplanes, and artillery as first stages. Project Farside used a rockoon composed of a 106,188-cubic-metre (3,750,000 ft) balloon, lifting a four-stage rocket. Sparoair was launched in the air from Navy F4D and F-4 fighters. Sounding rockets can also be launched from artillery guns, such as Project HARP's 5-, 7- and 15-inch (130, 180 and 380 mm) guns, sometimes having additional rocket stages.