Temperature sounding of the atmosphere with rocket borne payloads

A study of the atmospheric temperatures in the region 30-90 km is of great interest in understanding the physical processes taking place in the stratosphere and the mesosphere. This region can be studied using rocket-borne payloads only, as balloons are not capable of reaching the higher altitudes. Some of the techniques used for making such measurements are discussed. Two of these methods, the grenade experiment and the falling-sphere experiment, on which some initial work has been completed, are described in some detail. The hot-wire microphone used for the grenade experiment are described and their performance is discussed in relation to other alternate types of acoustic sensors. The relative advantages of the different methods now in use for measurement of the atmospheric temperatures using rocket-borne payloads are assessed.