Jaguar (British rocket) facts for kids

The Jaguar rocket, also known as the Jabiru, was a special British rocket. It was built with several different versions. This rocket was a three-stage design, meaning it had three parts that separated during flight. It was a type of sounding rocket, which means it flew high into space for a short time to gather information, rather than going into orbit around Earth.

Jabiru Mk.1: The First Version

The first version of this rocket was called the Jabiru Mk.1. Its first stage was about 5.6 meters (18 feet) long. When it launched, this stage weighed about 1,170 kilograms (2,579 pounds). Most of that weight, about 866 kilograms (1,909 pounds), was its fuel. This stage was powered by a Rook II engine.

The second stage of the Jabiru Mk.1 weighed 292 kilograms (644 pounds). About 184 kilograms (406 pounds) of this was fuel. It used a Gosling II engine to fly. The third and final stage was smaller. It carried 26 kilograms (57 pounds) of fuel and was powered by a Lobster I engine. All parts of the rocket used solid fuel.

The entire Jabiru Mk.1 rocket was about 12 meters (39 feet) long. It was launched many times between 1960 and 1964. These launches happened at a special aerospace testing area in Woomera, South Australia.

Jabiru Mk.2: An Improved Rocket

After the first version, engineers created the Jabiru Mk.2. This rocket had some important improvements. Its first stage used a more powerful Rook IIIA engine. The second stage was also better, using a Goldfinch II engine. This stage carried 307 kilograms (677 pounds) of fuel. The third stage was improved too, with a Gosling IV engine and 190 kilograms (419 pounds) of fuel.

The Jabiru Mk.2 was launched ten times. All these launches took place at Woomera. They happened between 1964 and 1970.

Jabiru Mk.3: For Special Experiments

The next version was the Jabiru Mk.3. This rocket was a bit different. It used the same Rook IIIA engine for its first stage as the Mk.2. However, its second stage was a changed version of the Mk.2's first stage, called the Rook IIIB. The Jabiru Mk.3 did not have a third stage.

This version of the rocket was used for special "re-entry" experiments. These experiments helped scientists learn what happens when objects come back into Earth's atmosphere from space. The Jabiru Mk.3 was used for these tests between 1971 and 1974.

Different Versions of the Jabiru

The Jaguar, or Jabiru, rocket came in several different setups. Here's a quick look at how they changed over the years: