Magnum (rocket)

The Magnum was a family of American solid-propellant sounding rockets developed and manufactured by Thiokol during the 1960s and 1970s. They were primarily used for upper atmosphere research, carrying payloads to altitudes of up to 400 kilometers. The Magnum family included several variations, each optimized for specific payload weights and altitude requirements. These variations typically involved differences in the number of stages or the specific type of solid propellant used.

Key features of the Magnum rockets included their relatively low cost, ease of handling, and reliability. These factors contributed to their widespread use in scientific investigations conducted by NASA, the Department of Defense, and various universities. Magnum rockets were often launched from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and other launch sites around the world.

The design philosophy behind the Magnum rockets focused on simplicity and robustness. They employed unguided ballistic trajectories, meaning their path was determined solely by the launch angle and initial velocity. This approach simplified the rocket's design and reduced its cost, but it also meant that the impact point could not be precisely controlled after launch. The Magnum rocket family played a significant role in advancing scientific understanding of the Earth's upper atmosphere and space environment.