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Viking Sounding Rocket

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  • Viking Sounding Rocket
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    Cylindrical with sharp pointed nose and four cruciform triangular fins at the base; painted white overall, with black band around rocket just above the fins; each fin tab is painted with its location direction: SE, NE, NW, and NW, while each fin is painted with its distinctive color scheme to further aid in tracking the rocket in flight; the SE and NE fins are painted half white and half black; the NW fin is all black; and the SW fin all white; nosecone gray with white tip; this specimen is cut away in several sections along the length of the rocket, with plexiglas coverings, to show the arrangement of the motor and other parts of the rocket; the engine components and other parts are painted in green, red, blue, silver-gray, and black, with black-lettered call-outs pasted on the components and visible at close inspection through the plexiglas; the following instruments are also located in the rocket's nose: an aircraft camera [made by the Folmer Graflex Co.], a motion picture camera (semi-complete), a wooden mock-up camera; a solar aspect camera; a radio doppler; a 20-channel telemeter transmitter; and an ionospheric transmitter; see additional note in Curatorial Remarks.

Created by

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Date Created

08/03/2022

Source

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Keywords

Cold War; Rockets; Space

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Usage conditions apply
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Admission is always free.
Open daily 10:00 am – 5:30 pm

National Air and Space Museum

National Air and Space Museum 650 Jefferson Drive SW
Washington, DC

202-633-2214

Free Timed-Entry Passes Required

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, VA 20151

703-572-4118

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