This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Booster rocket is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (June 2008) |
In spaceflight, a booster may be either:
- an entire launch vehicle or "launcher" used to lift a spacecraft. Initially all boosters used for human spaceflight and most unmanned boosters used liquid propellant, at least for the core launch vehicle.
- a strap-on rocket, (either a solid rocket booster or liquid rocket booster) used to augment the lift capability of a core launch vehicle
Examples
 |
The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page. |
As examples of the first meaning, the booster for most of the Mercury manned program was the Atlas, for Gemini it was a Titan II, and for Apollo it was usually the Saturn V. As an example of the second meaning, the Titan III used strap-on boosters.
The Space Shuttle program was the first time solid rockets were used in U.S. manned space launches. "Booster" can refer to either the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters, or to the entire vehicle as it ascends under powered flight, even after the solid rocket boosters are jettisoned.
When using strap-on boosters, the core vehicle is sometimes ignited concurrently at liftoff (as in the Space Shuttle), or sometimes the vehicle lifts off solely using strap-on boosters, and core is ignited at altitude (Titan III).
Other uses
Another use of the term "booster" in spaceflight is the Booster Systems Engineer, whose call sign is, Booster. This is a support position at NASA's Mission Control Center.
In aviation, boosters are often called JATO rockets. Solid rocket boosters were planned for the some Air Force programs such as the X-20 Dyna-Soar, but were ultimately never used.
Various missiles also use solid rocket boosters. Examples are;
- 2K11 (SA-4) which uses SRBs as a first stage, and then a ramjet.
- S-200 (SA-5) which uses SRBs as the first stage, followed by a solid fuel rocket.
- Surface launched versions of the turbojet powered Boeing Harpoon use an SRB.
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 2 November 2008, at 13:53.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Booster rocket".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.