Cricketsonde

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The Cricketsonde rocket vehicle. (Fins shown in deployed position.)

A Cricketsonde (Cold Rocket Instrument Carrying Kit sonde) was a CO2 propelled, lowaltitude meteorological rocket designed in the early 1960s by Texaco Inc. and the Friez Instrument Division of Bendix
Corporation.[1] It was used by various government and academic agencies until at least the late 1960s. The rocket carried
what was essentially a radiosonde payload and was capable of reaching over 3000 feet (914 meters), where it then ejected
a parachute and sent telemetry about temperature, humidity and barometric pressureduring decent. A ground station with a
manually tracked antenna received the signal where the data was processed and recorded.
Contents
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1Vehicle Overview
o

1.1Propulsion Section

1.2Telemetry and Instrumentation Section

1.3Recovery Section

2Ground Equipment

3Operation

4Development and Operational Use History

5References

Vehicle Overview[edit]
The Cricketsonde rocket, made primarily of aluminum, was approximately 2.5 feet in length and 3 inches in diameter, and
consisted of a propellant section, a recovery section, and a payload section. With the standard payload (telemetry package,
battery and parachute), it weighed 5.5 lbs fully fueled.[1] Depending on payload weight, the cricketsonde could achieve
altitudes of over 3700 feet (1127 meters).

Propulsion Section[edit]
A combination of acetone and liquid CO2 was used as the propellant. This mixture was used to control the thrust and thrust
duration and was pumped into the rocket just before flight. The amount of fuel usually equated to about 2 seconds of thrust.

Telemetry and Instrumentation Section[edit]

Cricketsonde Telemetry Package 01

Nose section of the Cricketsonde rocket with nose cover removed. Telemetry and sensor electronics shown.

The telemetry package included a transmitter (operating on 403 MHz), blocking oscillator, pressure switch and battery. A
multivibrator switched the temperature and humidity sensors into the circuit, while a baroswitch over-rode the multivibrator to
transmit pressure readings.
The instrumentation consisted of a temperature, humidity and pressure sensors. The temperature sensor was a (at the time)
standard ML-419 element, while the humidity sensor was a standard ML-476 carbon element. [1] An aneroid-type baroswitch
served as the pressure sensor. The temperature and humidity sensors were mounted in a vented housing attached to the
parachute, which was exposed to the atmosphere when the parachute was ejected after apogee. Data sampling of
temperature and humidity occurred approximately every 30 feet during decent, while pressure readings were taken about
every 500 feet (152 meters).
Power was supplied by a water activated battery (Ray-O-Vac BSC5), which was inserted just prior to flight. A removable
cover on the nose cone provided access.

Recovery Section[edit]

Nose section of the Cricketsonde rocket with nose and payload covers removed. Telemetry and sensor electronics along with recovery
parachute shown.

The rocket was able to be recovered as the recovery section contained a 5-foot parachute, to which the entire rocket was
attached. After launch, a preset timer controlled deployment of the parachute. [2]

Ground Equipment[edit]
The ground receiving station consisted of a manually tracked antenna, receiver, recorder and a power generator. More
specifically, the receiver setup was composed of a microwave receiver (Polard Model R), frequency meter and discriminator
(General Radio Corp Type 1142-A), a loudspeaker, and a multivibrator - pulse shaper.

Operation[edit]

Cricketsonde Launcher 01

In preparing the rocket for launch, the propellant chamber was first partially filled with acetone, then liquid CO 2 was pumped
in to a pressure of 400psi, being dissolved by the acetone in the process. After propellant charging was completed, the
rocket was loaded tail-first into the launch breech, and a valved plug inserted into the nozzle. The launch chamber below the
breech was charged with gaseous CO2 under pressure, and a launch tube added to the breech.
At launch, a valve released the gaseous CO2 to expel the rocket. As the rocket left the launch tube, the plug in the rocket
nozzle dropped off, allowing the rocket's fins to be deployed and the propellent charge to be released through the nozzle.
The propellent discharge lasted about two seconds, giving the rocket a velocity of about 550fps (167 meters per second)
and about 75g's acceleration for a .75 lbs payload.
After the propellant was exhausted, the rocket coasted to apogee, obtained approx 1314 seconds after launch (with a .
75 lbs payload).[1]A timer device then opened the parachute compartment, deploying the 5 foot parachute, and the rocket
descended at about 10fps (3 meters per second).

Development and Operational Use History[edit]

October - December 1963: Cricketsonde flights were conducted at the Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, to determine the
operational feasibility of the system.[1] The results indicated "that the Cricketsonde had a good potential as an operational
system."
August 1966, August 1968: The Cricketsonde system was used in conjunction with lidar to make vertical temperature and
humidity structure observations.[2] These observations were used to examine any relationship between vertical distribution of
atmospheric aerosols and the vertical profiles of temperature and humidity, the purpose being to explore the utility of optical
radar to detect and measure meteorological features of the lower atmosphere, such as temperature inversions, haze and
smog layers, and humidity variations.