Skua (rocket)

Skua is the designation of a British sounding rocket which was launched between 1959 and 1981 in four versions over 300 times. The Skua was developed by Bristol Aerojet and RPE Wescott.
It consisted of a starting stage made up of several Chick rockets that burned for 0.2 seconds. They propelled the rocket 20 metres over the 5-metre-long launch tube. After that, the Bantam main stage ignited. The solid rocket motor of the main stage had an end-burning propellant grain and burned for 30 seconds. The starting stage descended on parachutes and was re-filled and re-used.
The fastest jet stream velocity ever measured was recorded by instruments on board a Skua rocket above South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland at an altitude of 47,000 m, on 13 December 1967.

Versions

There were four versions of the Skua rocket: