Black Knight

Black Knight Sounding Rocket

Mission Profile

The Black Knight was a British single-stage sounding rocket developed by the Royal Aircraft Establishment and de Havilland for high-altitude atmospheric research and reentry vehicle heat shield testing. Standing 10.6 m tall with a 0.9 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 5,000 kg, it generated 69 kN of thrust from its single engine. First flown in September 1958 from Woomera, Australia, the Black Knight conducted important research into reentry physics and ablative heat shield materials, contributing essential data to the development of British ballistic missile warhead technology.