Jun 28 1974
From The Space Library
28 June -1 July: NASA and the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory, in participation with more than 100 U.S. and foreign experimenters, launched 54 sounding rockets from Wallops Flight Center as part of the Atmospheric Layering and Density Distribution of Ions and Neutrals (Project ALADDIN, '74) program. In addition to the 54 rockets launched during a 24-hr period beginning at 1:00 pm EDT 29 June, a pre-ALADDIN chemical experiment was launched aboard a Nike-Iroquois 28 June and four post-ALADDIN meteorological rockets were launched 1 July. Chemical releases made yellow to yellowish green fluorescent aurora-like vapor trails visible over the East Coast.
The program was studying dynamic and structural conditions of the atmosphere 48-137 km above the earth. Using small meteorological probes, chemical releases, falling spheres, and more sophisticated spectrometer payloads, the rockets tracked and measured winds, wind shears, temperature and diffusion parameters, upper-atmosphere patterns and dynamics, and structure and composition. Data received from the rockets would be compared with data obtained by Explorer 51 (launched 15 Dec. 1973) . The data would be used for predicting communications problems and satellite orbits as well as for weather forecasting and pollution studies. (WFC Releases 74 4, 74-5; AFSC Release OIP 065.74; AP, W Post, 30 June 74, B3)
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