| Sparta | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Function: | Sounding rocket Launch system | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer: | ABMA/Chrysler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country-Origin: | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages: | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacities: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Family: | Redstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Comparable: | Jupiter-C Juno I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status: | Retired | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sites: | Woomera Test Range LA-8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launches: | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Success: | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fail: | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First: | 28 November 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last: | 29 November 1967 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Payloads: | Re-entry vehicles, WRESAT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stagedata: |
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The Sparta (or Redstone Sparta) was a three-stage rocket that launched Australia's first Earth satellite, WRESAT, on 29 November 1967.[1] [2] [3]
Sparta used surplus American Redstone rockets as its first stage, a Thiokol Antares 2 from Scout rocket as a second stage, and a WRE BE-3 Alcyone solid-propellant engine as a third stage.
A first stage was recovered from the Simpson Desert in 1990 after being found in searches by explorer Dick Smith the previous year.[4]
Several Spartas were launched between 1966 and 1967 from Woomera Test Range LA8 in Woomera, South Australia as part of a joint United States - United Kingdom - Australian research program aimed at understanding re-entry phenomena, and the US donated a spare for the scientific satellite launch into polar orbit.[5]
The first launch was a failure, while the rest were successful.
| 1966 Nov 28 | Sparta SV-1 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 | |
| 1966 Dec 13 | Sparta SV-2 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 | |
| 1967 Apr 20 | Sparta SV-3 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 | |
| 1967 Jul 4 | Sparta SV-4 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 | |
| 1967 Jul 24 | Sparta SV-5 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 | |
| 1967 Aug 17 | Sparta SV-6 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 90 | |
| 1967 Sep 15 | Sparta SV-7 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 91 | |
| 1967 Oct 11 | Sparta SV-8 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 137 | |
| 1967 Oct 31 | Sparta SV-9 (re-entry vehicle) | US | US Army | 111 | |
| 1967 Nov 29 | WRESAT (satellite) | Australia | WRE | 1252 |