Aerobee 170

Mission Profile

The Aerobee 170 was a two-stage American sounding rocket in the prolific Aerobee family, designed to carry larger and heavier scientific instruments to higher altitudes than earlier Aerobee variants for upper atmosphere and space environment research. Standing 9.4 m tall with a 0.4 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 900 kg, it generated 18 kN of thrust. First flown in September 1968, the Aerobee 170 contributed to decades of X-ray astronomy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and atmospheric studies, forming part of the extensive Aerobee family that collectively conducted more scientific sounding rocket launches than any other program in American history.