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Viper Dart is an American sounding rocket originally developed in 1972. Space Data Corporation (SDC) developed the vehicle as a mean to increase the apogee of the Super Loki boosted PWN-12A dart. The PWN-12A dart is the non-propulsive second stage that contains a ROBINSphere (Radar OBservable INflation Sphere). The ROBINSphere is a calibrated weight inflatable 1 meter diameter radar reflecting balloon, weighing in at about 150 grams. The weight is measured within one-half gram.[1]
The Viper IIIA boosted PWN-12A dart has a maximum apogee of 120 km (74.56 mi), a diameter of 0.11 m and a length of 3.40 m.
The Viper II version had a ceiling of 150 km, a diameter of 0.18 m and a length of 3.40 m. This vehicle configurations flew less than 100 missions as a meteorological rocket and last flew in 1988 at White Sands Missile Range, NM..
- ^ Robert Leviton, John B. Wright. "ACCURACY OF DENSITY FROM THE ROBIN". Armed Services Technical Information Agency Arlington Hall. US ARMY. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.