1233 FQR_  PRESS :  .  Ã¢ÂÂ

il3th_SKYI,4PJC^C.4KPJ:2S FOUR. EXPEPJ.MB1TS

Statement "by the Minister for Supply, The Hon. A] ~.n s. Hn imo .

A Skylark rocket fired at Woomera yesterday examined

remoipftfs?Â® phenomena wnien a m e t s  radio tranimiÂ®eiehe   The Minister for Supply, Mr. Alan Hulme, announced the

firing today and said that preliminary reports showed that the

flight was completely successful. .

Mr. Hulme said that the rocket was a two-stage version of

Skylark, using a Cuckoo motor as a "booster and a Raven 11 motor

for the main stage.

The voc,ket reached a height of about 144 miles. '

Mr. Hulme said, "For this version of .Skylark, instrumentation

is carried on the head* which is composed of a cylindrical "body

and a conical nose section.

"The outer casing is jettisoned during flight, thus

exposing the experimental equipment to the atmosphere.

"The rocket fired was 33 ft. long, 17 inches diameter and

weighed 3*480 pounds."

Mr. Hulme said that the experiments carried were

1. Birmingham University dielectric probe to measure

electron density and collision frequency in the

upper atmosphere*

2. London and Leicester University colleges cameras to

measure solar spectrum in the soft x-ray wave

length region. Â·

3. London University College observations on the .

distribution of atomic hydrogen in the earth’s

atmosphere. "  Â·

4. London University probe to detect presence of

sporadic E ionisation. (E ionisation is one of the

layers around the earth and it affects radio .

transmission)e

Mr. Hulme said, "This was the 48th Skylark to be fired at

Woomera, and the 17th and last for this year.

"A great deal of scientific knowledge has been gained and

great credit is due to Department of Supply scientists and all

others connectedwith the experiments."

CANBERRA December 7. 1961 - P.M.

This statement has been released in Brisbane to the TELEGRAPH.

A.B.C. and COURIER MAIL,

