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Rocket, Liquid Fuel, Sounding, WAC Corporal

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

This is the WAC-Corporal liquid-fuel sounding rocket, the U.S.'s first successful sounding rocket. Developed from 1944 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it could lift 25 pounds of instruments to 20 miles. The motor used nitric acid and aniline and produced 1,500 pounds of thrust. The first rocket was launched in 1945.

Date

ca. 1945-1950

Type

CRAFT-Missiles & Rockets

Medium

Sheet steel, plastic or plexiglass

Department

NASM

Institution

National Air and Space Museum

Object number

nasm_A19590009000

Credit

Gift of the California Institute of Technology