Development of a Small Rocket System for Conductivity Measurements in the High Latitude Disturbed D-Region in Support of ELF/VLF Propagation Studies.

Abstract : An ultra-miniature conductivity probe for small rocket applications has been developed for measurements within the lower atmosphere (D-region and below). The probe is contained within a MET rocket and may be launched from standard MET sites with a minimum of personnel and equipment. The measuring instrument is a miniature Gerdien condenser, which is ejected near apogee and is trailed by a starute to reduce descent speeds below sonic values. Accumulated data are transmitted via telemetry to a recording ground station. The initial application of this instrument was at the White Sands Small Missile Range on 14 December 1978. After payload ejection near apogee data were recorded for over an hour as the instrument descended on the starute. Some modifications are indicated, but basically the concept and experiment appear sound.