Black Arrow

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Black Arrow
A Black Arrow carrier rocket in the rocket park at Woomera.
Fact sheet
Function	Orbital carrier rocket
Manufacturer	Royal Aircraft Establishment
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Size
Height	13 m
Diameter	1.98 m
Mass	18,130 kg
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to LEO	73 kg
Launch History
Status	Retired
Launch sites	LA-5B, Woomera
Total launches	4
Successes	2
Failures	2
Maiden flight	22:58 GMT, 27 June 1969
Last flight	04:09 GMT, 28 October 1971
First Stage - Black Knight (modified)
Engines	Gamma 8
Thrust	23,945 kgf
Specific impulse	265 s
Burn time	142 s
Fuel	H2O2/RP-1
Second Stage
Engines	Gamma 2
Thrust	6,958 kgf
Specific impulse	265 s
Burn time	113 s
Fuel	H2O2/RP-1
Third Stage
Engines	1 Waxwing solid
Thrust	3,000kgf
Specific impulse	278 s
Burn time	28 s
Fuel	Solid

Black Arrow was a British satellite carrier rocket. Black Arrow originated from studies by the Royal Aircraft Establishment for satellite launchers based on the Black Knight. The rocket used hydrogen peroxide oxidiser with RP-1 (paraffin oil) fuel.

[edit] Launches

Cutaway diagram

• R0 was launched on 28 June 1969 and was destroyed by ground control after an electrical fault led to a loss of guidance control

• R1 was launched on 4 March 1970 and was successful, although it carried no third stage payload

• R2 was launched on 2 September 1970. The first stage was successful but a leak in the HTP pressurisation system meant the rocket did not have enough velocity to reach orbit, and crashed into the Gulf of Carpentaria with the loss of the X-2 experimental satellite

• R3 was launched on 28 October 1971. The launch was completely successful and placed into orbit the Prospero X-3 satellite, making the United Kingdom the sixth nation to place a satellite into orbit (See Timeline of first orbital launches by country).

[edit] Cancellation

Unlaunched Black Arrow and Prospero mockup at the Science Museum, London

The cancellation of the Black Arrow project was announced in the House of Commons on 29 July 1971 by the then Minister for Aerospace, Frederick Corfield, although permission was given for the final launch of R3 to take place after this date. The last vehicle, R4, was never launched, and may be seen on display at the Science Museum, London.

The decision was taken on grounds of cost effectiveness; it was decided that using NASA's solid fuel Scout rocket for future launches would offer adequate performance at a lower cost.

[edit] Legacy

The remains of Stage 1 of the R3 rocket, successfully launched from the Woomera Rocket Range in October 1971. The rocket engine was recovered from the immense Anna Creek Station and is now in the Memorial Park at William Creek, South Australia

The cancellation of Black Arrow marked the end of the UK's chances of becoming a major space power. The UK had been at the forefront of rocketry since World War II but swiftly fell behind during the 60s and 70s. All future British satellite launches had to rely on foreign rockets.

As of 2007, the UK is the only nation to have successfully developed and then abandoned satellite launch capability.^[1]

[edit] See also

• Rainbow Codes
• List of missiles
• Skylon

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Black Arrow

• Science Museum - Black Arrow
• http://www.spaceuk.org/ba/ba.htm
• http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/blaarrow.htm
• BBC Radio 4 – "The Archive Hour – Britain's Space Race". 11 August 2007.

• Black Arrow R4 launch vehicle, 1971. Science Museum, London.

• Black Arrow. Nicholas Hill., The "levitation" picture, showing the R3 / Prospero launch lifting off on Gamma's invisibly transparent exhaust plume.

[edit] References

1. ^ BBC News - Britain's first space pioneers

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