You are hereLaunch Vehicle - Black Knight

Launch Vehicle - Black Knight


By GeoffOCallaghan - Posted on 16 October 2009

General Information

The information below is an edited version of a report entitled "A Summary of "Black Knight" Flight Data from 1958 to 1962", written by H.W.B. Gordon B.A. and L.W. Parkin MSc, which may be found in the Public Record Office, Kew [part of AVIA 6 17362]. The report was published in February 1964. It is incomplete in the sense that the Black Knight programme was not yet complete, but since it was declassified only in 1995, we may have to wait for the rest of the data. From 1958 to 1962, fourteen "Black Knight" ballistic research vehicles were launched at Woomera. The first two were vehicle proving flights, being single stage rounds fitted with non-separating heads. Of the remaining twelve, six were single-stage and six two-stage rounds; separating heads were fitted on all twelve. The Gamma engine, specially developed and built for Black Knight was used throughout as the first stage motor. The first version to be developed, the Gamma 201, was used for the first twelve firings and the Gamma 301, being a modification incorporating automatic mixture-ratio control, was used in the last two firings. The second stage was added to provide greater re-entry velocity. In all such firings the Cuckoo Mk.I solid propellant motor was used, firing downwards after apogee. The main purpose of the firings with the separating heads has been to obtain data on the behaviour of the head during re-entry into the atmosphere. In the two firings using the Gamma 301 engine, of equal importance was the proving of the vehicle, in particular the new engine and certain other new features on the second stage which would be required for the future DAZZLE programme of firings . The present Note gives a brief description of each vehicle fired, and summarises the results obtained. Only in certain cases have these results been discussed in any detail, viz. where they have led to important modifications.

 




Purpose:
Period of Use:
Payload Mass: ?
Apogee: ?


Launch Log


Date RecordID LaunchVehicle LaunchArea Apogee Stabilized Purpose
1958:09:07:1038 BK01 BlackKnight LA-5a
1959:03:12:???? BK03 BlackKnight
1959:06:11:???? BK04 BlackKnight
1959:06:29:???? BK05 BlackKnight
1959:10:30:???? BK06 BlackKnight
1960:05:24:1130 BK08 BlackKnight
1960:06:21:???? BK09 BlackKnight
1960:07:25:???? BK07 BlackKnight
1961:02:07:???? BK13 BlackKnight LA-5a
1961:05:09:1207 BK14 BlackKnight LA-5b
1961:06:07:???? BK17 BlackKnight
1962:05:01:???? BK15 BlackKnight
1962:08:24:???? BK16 BlackKnight
1962:11:27:???? BK18 BlackKnight
1963:10:17:???? BK11 BlackKnight
1964:03:11:???? BK12 BlackKnight
1964:08:06:???? BK19 BlackKnight
1964:11:06:???? BK20 BlackKnight
1965:04:21:???? BK21 BlackKnight
1965:07:28:???? BK23 BlackKnight
1965:09:29:???? BK24 BlackKnight
1965:11:25:???? BK25 BlackKnight
BK02, BK10 and BK 22 were not flown.
AttachmentSize
bk.jpg11.89 KB
bk1.jpg6.25 KB
bk_2stage.gif2.4 KB
bk_ballistic.jpg16.43 KB
bk_e_bay.gif22 KB
bk_module1.gif17 KB
bk_nosecone.gif10.59 KB
bk_plan2.gif43.11 KB