Skua (rocket)

The Skua was a series of sounding rockets developed and used by the United Kingdom for meteorological research and atmospheric sounding. It was designed and manufactured by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The Skua rocket was a single-stage, solid-propellant rocket designed to carry a payload of scientific instruments to altitudes of up to 150 kilometers (93 miles). Its primary purpose was to measure wind speed and direction, temperature, and pressure in the upper atmosphere.

Several variants of the Skua were developed, including the Skua I, Skua II, and Skua III. These variants offered improved performance and payload capacity compared to the original design. The Skua II, in particular, was a widely used and successful version.

Skua rockets were launched from various locations around the world, including sites in the UK, Australia, Norway, and Argentina. They played a significant role in advancing our understanding of atmospheric processes and contributed valuable data to meteorological research programs. The rockets were generally fin-stabilized and spin-stabilized for improved accuracy during their ascent. The payloads were typically recovered after parachute descent.