The design of a recoverable liquid propellant rocket stage for providing separation velocity to large contamination-sensitive payloads

The expended Aries I sounding rocket motor is a potential source of contamination for certain optical payloads. In connection with an investigation for the development of an approach which could prevent such a contamination of asensitive payload, the use of a liquid propellant kick stage to separate the payload from the expended solid-propellant motor was selected as one alternative. Measurements during Aerobee flights had shown that an acceptable postburnout environment was provided by the liquid propellant sounding rocket. The Aries Kick Stage is a cold-gas pressure-fed liquid-bipropellant rocket stage housed in a cylinder 44 inches long and 38 inches in diameter. Attention is given to the propulsion system, the Kick Stage recovery system, the sequence of flight events, and aspects of flight performance.