The INTA-100 vehicle was a small 2-stage meteorological sounding rocket designed and developed between the 1980s and the 1990s by the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA).[1][2] The final design was entirely produced in Spain to be used by the Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (INM now part of the AEMET)[3] in conducting experiments on the atmosphere.
| Manufacturer | INTA |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Spain |
| Size | |
| Height | 4 m |
| Diameter | 10 cm |
| Mass | 70 kg |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to Suborbital | |
| Altitude | 115 km |
| Mass | 6 kg (13 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Derivative work | INTA-255, INTA-300 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | El Arenosillo |
| Total launches | 17 |
| Success(es) | 15 |
| Failure(s) | 2 |
Body
editThe rocket was a small cylindrical rod 4 meters in length and 10 cm of diameter and a total weight of 70 kg. It was divided into two sections: 1st stage (codename INTA S-12) and the 2nd stage (codename Urbión in reference to the Iberian peaks of the same name) each with its own stabilizing fins.[1] This configuration allowed up to 6 kg of payload with a flight apoapsis of 115 km.
Development
editThe INTA 100 sounding rocket project was initiated in 1980. With help from the British company Bristol Aerojet, the first launch took place in June 1984, with six additional launches performed by 1986. The main drive behind these test was to further develop and improve rocket engines and their guidance system. With one notable exception, all test were highly successful[4] in helping develop a hybrid inertial/infrared guidance system that would later be used in several of INTA's satellites (such as the Minisat 01 ETRV and the Nanosat 01 ACS). The 5 following test would focus on geodesic studies such as reception of ionospheric beacons emitted by satellites and atmosphere dynamics. To fund these missions INTA reached for several, both public and private, investors such as the Spanish Air Force, the University of Valencia, the University of Sussex, DFVLR, IROE and most important the Comisión Nacional de Investigación del Espacio (CONIE).[5] The later completely funded 2 launches and quickly became INTA's main partner also participating in balloon launches and the funding of infrastructure.[6]
As a consequence of the closure of CONIE in 1986, the INTA-100 project was put on hold for 4 years due to the lack of funds. Nonetheless, by 1990 the situation was good enough to resume work on the rocket producing 6 more rockets that would be complete testing by 1992. These test would prove successful enough to encourage the development of the INTA rocket series that would culminate on the Capricornio.[7] In addition, INTA would be given funds to develop more ambitious projects such as the first Spanish satellites (Intasat and Minisat 01) that would pave the way for INTA to join ESA and reach the current involvement on the space industry.[8][9]
Launches
editDuring its career 12 rockets were built and used in a total of 17 missions (15 of them successfully) from El Arenosillo, most of them to conduct various test on either the rocket or its payload.[2]
| Date | Codename | Purpose | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 June 1984 | INTA MZ-8401 | Test, Zorzal 1, Mock-up | Success |
| 12 June 1984 | INTA MZ-8402 | Test, Zorzal 2, Mock-up | Success |
| 13 June 1984 | INTA RP-8401 | Ballast, Rocío 1 | Success |
| 27 March 1985 | INTA RP-8501 | Ballast, Rocío 2 | Success |
| 18 June 1985 | INTA RP-8502 | Ballast, Rocío 3 | Failure |
| 24 June 1985 | INTA RP-8503 | Ballast, Rocío 4 | Success |
| 13 November 1985 | INTA RP-8504 | Ballast, Rocío 5 | Success |
| 15 November 1985 | INTA RP-8505 | Chaff, Rocío 6 | Success |
| 17 October 1990 | INTA MZ-9001 | Test, M0, Mock-up | Success |
| 21 October 1990 | INTA MZ-9002 | Test, M1, functioning mock-up | Success |
| 22 October 1990 | INTA MZ-9003 | Test, M2, functioning mock-up | Success |
| 18 January 1991 | INTA RP-9101 | Test, Rocío 7, Prototype | Success |
| 18 January 1991 | INTA RP-9102 | Meteo, Rocío 8, Prototype | Failure |
| 14 October 1991 | INTA RP-9103 | Test, Rocío 9, | Success |
| 15 October 1991 | INTA RP-9104 | Test, Rocío 10 | Success |
| 7 April 1992 | INTA RP-9201 | Tech Payload, Rocío 11 | Success |
| 8 April 1992 | INTA RP-9202 | Tech Payload, Rocío 12 | Success |
See also
editThe family of sounding rockets developed from the INTA-100:
References
edit- ^ a b "INTA-100". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ a b "INTA-100". www.astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ "INM, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología". www.eltiempo.es (in European Spanish). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ Rivera, Alicia (7 April 1992). "Lanzado con éxito el cohete lanzador español 'Inta-100'". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ "Ley 47-1963, de 8 de julio, por la que se crea la Comisión Nacional de Investigación del Espacio". vLex (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ Dorado, José M.; Bautista, Manuel; Sanz-Aránguez, Pedro (2002). "Spain in Space: A short history of Spanish activity in the space sector" (PDF). European Space Agency.
- ^ "Astronáutica Amateur - Los cohetes del INTA". sites.google.com. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ "Spain's Aerospace Industry – New Technologies from Spain – MIT Technology Review". icex.technologyreview.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ "Spain and science at the European Space Agency". www.sener.es. Retrieved 17 May 2020.