This mission studied Alfven wave acceleration in the cusp by using the same key instruments that were used on complementary missions that studied night-side aurora. Sounding rockets are also used in microgravity experiments for material and life sciences. Not only are sounding rocket missions carried out at very low cost, but also the payload can be developed in a very short time frame -- sometimes as quickly as 3 months. In some cases, such as almost all astronomy, planetary, solar, and microgravity missions, the payloads are recovered, which means the costs of the experiment and sub-systems are spread out over many missions.Not only are sounding rocket missions carried out at very low cost, but also the payload can be developed in a very short time frame -- sometimes as quickly as 3 months. This rapid response enables scientists to react quickly to new phenomena (such as observing the Shoemaker-Levy comet impact to Jupiter) and to incorporate the latest, most up-to-date technology in their experiments.
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. At left is a vertical Black Brant VIII Sounding Rocket, with a horizontal Argo D-4 Javelin and horizontal Nike Tomahawk in front. Over 350 Ph.D.'s have been awarded as part of NASA's sounding rocket programA heliophysics sounding rocket launches into an aurora in the early morning of March 3, 2014, over Venetie, Alaska. NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind. Indeed, there are certain important regions of space that are too low for satellites and thus sounding rockets provide the only platforms that can carry out measurements in these regions. Sounding rockets can be an attractive alternative to orbital missions as they do not need expensive boosters or extended telemetry and tracking coverage since they never go into orbit. For over 40 years the Sounding Rocket Program has provided critical scientific, technical, and educational contributions to the nation's space program and is one of the most robust, versatile, and cost-effective flight programs at NASA.Sounding rockets carry scientific instruments into space along a parabolic trajectory. The sounding rocket program takes advantage of a high degree of commonality and in many cases, only the experiment -- provided by the scientist -- is changed. Sounding Rockets: The NASA Sounding Rocket Program (NSRP) provides low-cost, sub-orbital access to space in support of space and Earth sciences research and technology development sponsored by NASA and other users by providing payload development, launch vehicles, and mission support services.