Viking RTV-N-12a

RTV-N-12a Viking Viking Sounding Rocket (improved)

Mission Profile

The Viking RTV-N-12a was a single-stage American sounding rocket in the Viking family, an improved variant of the Naval Research Laboratory's Viking high-altitude research rocket. Standing 12.7 m tall with a 1.1 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 7.3 tonnes, it generated 134 kN of thrust. First flying in June 1952, the Viking RTV-N-12a conducted high-altitude atmospheric and ionospheric research, and its technology directly contributed to the development of the Vanguard satellite launch vehicle.