Nike Nike T40 T55

Nike-Nike

Mission Profile

The Nike Nike T40 T55 (Nike-Nike) was a three-stage American sounding rocket in the Nike family, using a double Nike booster configuration for high-altitude atmospheric research. Standing 8 m tall with a 0.4 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 700 kg, it was a simple and inexpensive research tool. First flying in October 1954, the Nike-Nike was one of the earliest multi-stage sounding rockets, used extensively for upper atmosphere studies during the early space age.