The Terrier Malemute is a two-stage American sounding rocket typically used for smaller payloads (less than ). Both the Terrier first stage and the Malemute second stage use solid propellant. The Terrier burns for approximately 5.2 seconds, and the Malemute burns for approximately 21.5 seconds. The first stage booster consists of a surplus Navy Terrier MK 12 Mod 1 rocket motor with four fin panels arranged in a cruciform configuration. The Terrier rocket booster has a diameter of . The second stage solid rocket is a Thiokol Malemute TU-758 rocket motor, specially designed for high altitude research rocket applications. Apogee is approximately for a payload or for a payload. For a payload weight of , the acceleration during the boost phase is 26 g. Its first flight was on November 11, 1974, from Barking Sands. Other launch sites have included Poker Flat, Wallops Island and Fort Yukon, Alaska.
Terrier Malemute was launched more than fifty times between 1974 and 2021: DateVersionSitePayload11.11.1974Terrier MalemuteBarking SandsSandia 497-002 (failure)12.05.1975Terrier MalemuteBarking SandsSandia 497-00427.06.1975Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandNASA 29.002GT (failure)15.01.1976Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandNASA 12.034CT-GT (failure)11.08.1976Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandNASA 12.036GT27.11.1976Terrier MalemuteAndøya Rocket RangeNASA 29.005IE (Ferdinand 38 (Harang))14.01.1977Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.003AE18.01.1977Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.004UE (failure)10.09.1977Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandSandia 497-00802.02.1978Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.008UE09.03.1978Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.007UE26.01.1979Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.013UE (failure)15.04.1979Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.011GE18.04.1979Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.012GE16.07.1979Terrier MalemuteRoi-NamurSandia 497-011 (DNA PLUMEX I)23.07.1979Terrier MalemuteRoi-NamurSandia 497-012 (DNA PLUMEX II)13.10.1979Terrier Malemute-2Barking SandsSandia 497-010 (LASL Aguila)27.01.1980Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.014UE (ARCS 1)07.12.1981Terrier Malemute-2Cape ParryNASA 29.017CE (CENTAUR)21.01.1982Terrier MalemuteCape ParryNASA 29.018UE06.03.1982Terrier Malemute-2Poker FlatNASA 29.016CE02.03.1983Terrier MalemuteChilca Launch RangeNASA 29.020UE (CONDOR Cornell ESF)15.03.1983Terrier MalemuteChilca Launch RangeNASA 29.019UE (CONDOR Cornell ESF)11.11.1983Terrier Malemute-2Andøya Rocket RangeNASA 29.022GE/IE (Ferdinand 63/Poleward Leap)07.02.1984Terrier MalemuteFort YukonNASA 29.021UE (Bidarca)23.01.1985Terrier MalemuteSøndre StrømfjordNASA 29.023UE (COPE)10.02.1985Terrier MalemuteSøndre StrømfjordNASA 29.015UE (COPE/ARCS 3)14.07.1985Terrier Malemute-2Barking SandsSandia 497-013 (ACE I)27.09.1985Terrier Malemute-2Barking SandsSandia 497-014 (ACE II)10.10.1985Terrier Malemute-2Barking SandsSandia 497-015 (ACE III)10.12.1985Terrier Malemute-2Barking SandsSandia 497-016 (ACE IV)03.04.1986Terrier MalemutePoker FlatNASA 29.024UE26.02.1987Terrier MalemuteSøndre StrømfjordNASA 29.025UE (COPE II)05.03.1987Terrier MalemuteSøndre StrømfjordNASA 29.026UE (COPE II)03.04.1989Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandNASA 29.027UE (RED AIR 1)04.09.1989Terrier MalemuteBarking SandsSDIO Starmate11.09.1989Terrier MalemuteBarking SandsSDIO Starmate29.03.1990Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandSDIO Laser Target (Firefly 1)25.04.1990Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandSDIO BSUV (Bow Shock 1)30.07.1990Terrier MalemuteRoi-NamurNASA 29.028UE (EQUIS Spread F)02.08.1990Terrier MalemuteRoi-NamurNASA 29.029UE (EQUIS Spread F)20.10.1990Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandSDIO (Firefly 2)24.05.1992Terrier MalemuteBarking SandsCDX (LWIS)10.06.2003Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandNASA 29.035UP (DEBI, Bowshock)07.08.2004Terrier MalemuteRoi-NamurNASA 29.037UE (EQUIS II)15.08.2004Terrier MalemuteRoi-NamurNASA 29.036UE (EQUIS II)09.09.2017Terrier MalemuteKwajalein IslandNASA 29.042UE (WINDY 2) (failure)23.04.2019Terrier MalemuteBarking SandsHOT SHOT 224.04.2019Terrier MalemuteBarking SandsHOT SHOT 320.10.2021Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandH4H 120.10.2021Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandH4H 220.10.2021Terrier MalemuteWallops IslandH4H 3
Terrier Improved Malemute
The Terrier Improved Malemute uses a Terrier Mk. 70 rocket motor for the first stage and a surplus MIM-104 Patriot motor (Thiokol TX-486-1) for the second stage. The Terrier Improved Malemute has made two successful test flights and two failed attempts. Two of these rockets were successfully used in 2012 in the Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment (ATREX) upper atmospheric study.
On 26 November 2019, a Terrier Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket was launched from Ny-Ålesund, Norway. The rocket conducted the ICI-5 mission for NASA and Norwegian research institutes. The purpose of the mission was ionosphere research. The suborbital flight, with an apogee of , was a partial failure as the rocket experienced a roll rate anomaly, precluding the on board instruments from functioning as intended.
Terrier Improved Malemute was launched more than thirty times between 2010 and 2025: DateSitePayload27.03.2010Wallops IslandNASA 12.067GT / ADAMASat / CP1U11.01.2012Wallops IslandNASA 12.074GT27.03.2012Wallops IslandNASA 46.002UE (ATREX 2)27.03.2012Wallops IslandNASA 46.003UE (ATREX 4)21.09.2012Wallops IslandNASA 46.004GO (RockSat-X 2)07.05.2013Roi-NamurNASA 46.001UE (EVEX)13.08.2013Wallops IslandNASA 46.005UO (Rocksat-X 3)02.07.2014Wallops IslandNASA 46.007GP (SubTec 6)26.01.2015Poker FlatNASA 46.009UE (M-TeX 1)26.01.2015Poker FlatNASA 46.010UE (M-TeX 2)18.04.2015Wallops IslandNASA 46.008UO (Rocksat-X 4)12.08.2015Wallops IslandNASA 46.012UO (Rocksat-X 5)01.03.2016Wallops IslandNASA 46.011GP (MUSIC)17.08.2016Wallops IslandNASA 46.014UO (Rocksat-X 6)29.06.2017Wallops IslandNASA 46.015GT (Ampoule Test)13.08.2017Wallops IslandNASA 46.017UO (Rocksat-X 7)25.03.2018Wallops IslandNASA 46.019UO (USIP)14.08.2018Wallops IslandNASA 46.021UO (RockSat-X 8)13.01.2019Ny-ÅlesundNASA 46.018UO (G-CHASER, RockSat-XN)12.08.2019Wallops IslandNASA 46.022UO (RocSat-X 9)25.10.2019Wallops IslandNASA 46.020GT (SubTec 8)26.11.2019Ny-ÅlesundNASA 46.029IE (ICI 5)26.05.2021Wallops IslandNASA 46.028UE (VIPER)19.08.2021Wallops IslandNASA 46.030UO (RockSat-X 10)11.09.2021Wallops IslandNASA 46.033AR (HOTShot)21.03.2022Wallops IslandNASA 46.027DR (BOLT 2)07.04.2022Poker FlatNASA 46.031UE (INCAA 1)11.08.2022Wallops IslandNASA 46.036UO (RockSat-X 11)24.08.2022Wallops IslandNASA 46.025UE (SpEED Demon)26.10.2022Wallops IslandHOTH 2-127.10.2022Wallops IslandHOTH 2-216.08.2023Wallops IslandNASA 46.038UO (RockSat-X 12)13.08.2024Wallops IslandNASA 46.042WO (RockSat-X 13)25.03.2025Poker FlatNASA 46.034UE (AWESOME 1)29.03.2025Poker FlatNASA 46.035UE (AWESOME 2)20.06.2025Roi-NamurNASA 46.026UE (SEED 1)28.06.2025Roi-NamurNASA 46.037UE (SEED 2)
See also Terrier Oriole Terrier Orion
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