At 2230 hours, December 14 th , 2004, the National Space Organization launched Sounding Rocket – 4 from Pingtung's Chio He Base, carrying out secondary orbital scientific experiments. The NSPO is responsible for planning this particular scientific experiment; it commissioned the sounding rocket made by the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology to serve as the carrier. The plan was implemented in cooperation with scientific teams from National Central University and National Cheng Kong University. The mission of the sounding rocket-4 is to conduct scientific experiments on the atmospheric glow distribution of the sky above Taiwan. This is the first time that two scientific payloads are carried. The first is a photometric scientific payload, which was designed and made by the scientific team from National Central University. It is capable of realistically measuring the green light wave section of the atmospheric glow 90 to 270 km of airspace above Taiwan. The second payload is immediate global positioning system (GPS); it is a GPS measuring payload developed by the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology. It is capable of receiving and transmitting GPS signals in highly active environments. It also complements the surface measurement of the team from National Cheng Kong University to further conduct discrepancy global positioning system (DGPS), satisfying the trajectory measurement requirement of the rocket.
Sounding Rocket No. 4 was launched at 2230 hours of the day; the first section of the rocket separated six seconds after the launch. The second section ignited on the 12 th second, and decay out on the 43 rd second; at that time, it was 50 kilometers from the surface. The rocket continued its ascent and on the 266 th second, it reached its highest altitude at 265 kilometers; entire flight time was 510 seconds; launch distance was 190 km. Power source for the photometer was turned on during the 53 rd second, upon which observation of the atmospheric glow started; the rocket also started transmitting observation data.
This scientific experiment of Sounding Rocket – 4 marks the first time Taiwan has launched a dual payload while conducting experiments at the same time. From design, manufacture, up to testing, the photometric scientific payload was independently completed by local university research personnel. This has significant ramifications on the efforts of the country's academic community in the development of payload technology for aerospace science. |
