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Nike (rocket stage)

Nike (rocket stage) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nike (rocket stage) rather than just read about it. In short: The Nike stage or Nike booster, a solid fuel rocket motor, was developed by Hercules Aerospace for use as the first stage of the Nike Ajax (M5 motor) and Nike Hercules (M5E1 and M88 motor) missiles as part of Project Nike. It was subsequently employed in a variety of missiles and multi-stage sounding rockets, becoming one of the most popular and reliable rocket stages, not only in the United States, but also in seve…

Nike (rocket stage) — main illustration
Nike (rocket stage) — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Nike (rocket stage) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Nike (rocket stage) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Nike (rocket stage) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Nike stage or Nike booster, a solid fuel rocket motor, was developed by Hercules Aerospace for use as the first stage of the Nike Ajax (M5 motor) and Nike Hercules (M5E1 and M88 motor) missiles as part of Project Nike. It was subsequently employed in a variety of missiles and multi-stage sounding rockets, becoming one of the most popular and reliable rocket stages, not only in the United States, but also in several other countries around the world.

Sounding rockets based on Nike Booster

The Nike Deacon has a ceiling of 189 km, a takeoff thrust of 217 kN, a takeoff weight of 710 kg, a diameter of 0.42 m and a length of 7.74 m. The Nike Javelin was launched 34 times between 1964 and 1978. The maximum flight altitude of the Nike Javelin was 130 km, the takeoff thrust 217 kN, takeoff weight 900 kg, 0.42 m and length 8.20 m. The Nike Malemute consists of a Nike starting stage and a Malemute upper stage. It has a ceiling of 500 km (310 mi), a takeoff thrust of 48,800 lbf (217 kN), a takeoff weight of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), a diameter of 0.42 m (17 in) and a length of 8.60 metres (28 feet 3 inches). The Nike Orion has a Nike base stage, taken from U.S. Army surplus stocks, and an Orion upper stage. The Nike Orion is 9.01 metres (29 feet 7 inches) long. There are two stages of boosters; the first is 41.9 cm (16.5), and the second is 35.6 cm (14.0 in). It has a launch weight of 1,100 kilograms (2,400 pounds), a launch thrust of 217 kN (48,800 lbf) and a ceiling of 140 km (460,000 ft). The first Nike-Orion rocket was launched on February 26, 1977, and had more than 175 launches through the 2000s.

The Nike Recruit has an apogee of 5 km, a liftoff thrust of 217 kN, a total mass of 1100 kg and a total length of 8.00 m. The Nike Tomahawk has a Nike rocket as the first stage, and a Tomahawk rocket as the second. The Nike Tomahawk has a ceiling of 230 statute miles (370 km), a payload capacity of 100 pounds (45 kg), a launch thrust of 49,000 pounds of force (217 kN), a launch weight of 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg), a diameter of 17 inches (0.43 m) and a length of 35 feet 5 inches (10.80 m). The Nike Tomahawk was launched 395 times between June 25, 1963, and November 27, 1995. One of its launches was in 1966 on the beach in Cassino, Rio Grande, Brazil. The Nike Viper consists of a Nike starting stage and a Viper upper stage. The Nike Viper has a ceiling of 80 km, a takeoff thrust of 217 kN (48,800 lbf), a takeoff weight of 600 kg and a length of 8.00 m.

Below is a list of sounding rockets based on Nike, Nike-Nike or Nike upper stage combinations:

See also Nike Smoke rocket

References

External links U.S. Naval Research Lab. - Nike Booster Archived 2013-02-21 at the Wayback Machine Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Fins, Set of Four, Rocket, Nike Booster, Nike-Cajun Encyclopedia Astronautica - Nike

Illustrations

Nike (rocket stage): Early Booster Missile Nike I (three fin model).
Early Booster Missile Nike I (three fin model).
Nike (rocket stage): A Nike Orion rocket in flight
A Nike Orion rocket in flight
Nike (rocket stage): A Nike Tomahawk photographed at Wallops Flight Facility.
A Nike Tomahawk photographed at Wallops Flight Facility.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nike (rocket stage)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nike (rocket stage) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nike (rocket stage) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nike (rocket stage) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nike (rocket stage)

In research
Nike (rocket stage) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Nike (rocket stage) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Nike (rocket stage) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Nike (rocket family), Rocket stages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Nike (rocket stage) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Nike (rocket stage) in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Nike (rocket stage) means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Nike (rocket stage) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nike (rocket stage) in simple terms?

The Nike stage or Nike booster, a solid fuel rocket motor, was developed by Hercules Aerospace for use as the first stage of the Nike Ajax (M5 motor) and Nike Hercules (M5E1 and M88 motor) missiles as part of Project Nike. It was subsequently employed in a variety of missiles and multi-stage soundi…

Why does Nike (rocket stage) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nike (rocket stage)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nike (rocket stage).

Tags

  • Nike (rocket family)
  • Rocket stages

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