Consort and Joust sounding rocket missions

Abstract

The two suborbital rocket programs are described in terms of their common objective of examining commercial applications of materials processing under microgravitational conditions. The sounding rocket programs have unique launch-service capabilities but provide essentially interchangeable payload accommodations. Major differences include longer low gravity times and larger payload volume for the Joust rocket, spin stabilization and land recovery for the Consort rocket, and faster ascent and reentry accelerations for the Joust rocket. A summary of previous and planned experiments for the rocket programs is given which includes studies of the morphology and strength of elastomer-modified epoxy resins, electrodeposition studies, the demixing of immiscible polymers, foam formation, and polymer experiments. These and other experiments can be facilitated by the microgravity time available on flights of the two sounding rockets.