The XPWN-9A Kangaroo was a project to develop a sounding rocket intended for use by the United States Navy. Using an unconventional design, flight tests were unsuccessful, and it was not put into production.
| Function | Sounding rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | United Technologies Corporation |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 3.0 metres (10 ft) |
| Diameter | 170 millimetres (6.5 in) |
| Stages | Two |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Launch sites | Point Mugu |
| First flight | 1969 |
| First stage – Booster | |
| Diameter | 170 millimetres (6.5 in) |
| Powered by | 1 |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Second stage – Dart | |
| Height | 1.2 metres (4 ft) |
| Diameter | 41.3 millimetres (1.625 in) |
| Powered by | Unpowered |
The Kangaroo was designed as a "boosted dart" type rocket, the unpropelled "dart" containing the payload being housed within the solid booster rocket's propellant, where, upon burnout, it would be ejected from the rocket by a pyrotechnic device.[1] Rail launched, Kangaroo was intended to be used to measure radiation levels and the density of micrometeorites prior to the launch of crewed space flights.[2]
The initial design of what was then called Kangaroo-Dart was developed by the Aeromachnics Branch of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range.[1] Detailed design was performed by Aerojet;[3] however when bids for developing the prototype, given the designation XPWN-9A, were requested, United Technologies Corporation submitted the winning bid and was given a contract for construction of prototypes in November 1969.[3]
Flight trials of the Kangaroo booster were undertaken at the Pacific Missile Range at Point Mugu; they proved unsuccessful, and production of the rocket was not undertaken.[3]