Extrasolar X-ray Astronomy Rockets
The X-ray astronomy team at American Science and Engineering, which later became the nucleus of the CfA's HEA group, discovered the
first extrasolar X-ray source in 1962 using a sounding rocket. During the 1960s and 1970s, suborbital sounding rockets were
the pioneering instruments used to study the X-ray sky until they were superseded by longer-lived orbiting observatories.
| Launch Date | Mission | Rocket type | PI |
| 1960 Sep 27 | AFCRL AA8.350 | Nike Asp | Giacconi | Payload failed |
| 1961 Oct 14 | AFCRL (unknown) | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi | Rocket failed? or no launch? |
| 1961 Oct 25 | AFCRL AB3.351 | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi | Payload failed |
| 1962 Jun 19 | AFCRL AB3.352 | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi | Sco X-1 Discovery |
| 1962 Oct 13 | AFCRL AC3.353 | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi? |
| 1963 Jun 11 | AFCRL AC3.354 | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi? |
| 1964 May 27 | AFCRL AD3.355 | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi? |
| 1964 Aug 29 | NASA 4.122GG | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi |
| 1964 Oct 27 | NASA 4.123CG | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi |
| 1965 Mar 17 | NASA 4.63GS | Aerobee 150 | Reidy,Giacconi |
| 1965 Sep 22 | NASA 4.147GG | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi,Gursky |
| 1966 Mar 8 | NASA 4.148CG | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi,Gursky |
| 1966 Oct 12 | NASA 4.149CG | Aerobee 150 | Gursky |
| 1967 Nov 20 | NASA 4.228CG | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi,Gursky |
| 1968 Feb 2 | NASA 4.261CG | Aerobee 150 | Giacconi,Gursky |
| 1968 Dec 7 | NASA 4.264CG | Aerobee 150 | Gorenstein |
| 1970 Feb 7 | NASA 4.262GG | Aerobee 150 | Gursky,Vaiana |
| 1970 May 26 | NASA 4.316NG | Aerobee 150 | Kondo,Romans (w. MSC) |
| 1970 Jun 27 | NASA 13.12CG | Aerobee 150 | Gorenstein |
| 1970 Sep 28 | NASA 13.26CG | Aerobee 150 | Kellogg |
| 1972 Apr 1 | NASA 13.27CG | Aerobee 150 | Gorenstein |
| 1972 Aug 5 | NASA 13.30CG | Aerobee 150 | Kellogg |
| 1975 Mar 15 | NASA 17.15UG | Aerobee 350 | Gorenstein |
| 1975 Dec 6 | NASA 17.16UH | Aerobee 350 | Gorenstein |
| 1976 Jun 17 | NASA 17.17UH | Aerobee 350 | Gorenstein |
| 1977 Jun 9 | NASA 27.08UH | Black Brant 8C | Gorenstein |
| 1977 Jul 27 | NASA 27.31UH | Black Brant 8C | Gorenstein |
| 1977 Oct 2 | NASA 26.65IH-UH | Aerobee 200A | Gorenstein + Spada (Frascati) |
| 1978 Jan 10 | NASA 25.012UH | Astrobee F | Murray |
| 1978 Jul 20 | NASA 25.037UH | Astrobee F | Murray |
| 1980 Mar 22 | NASA 25.047UH | Astrobee F | Schnopper | Soft XRB |
| 1981 May 4 | NASA 27.058UH | Black Brant 8C | Schnopper | Soft XRB |
Solar rocket missions
G. Vaiana began the series of solar X-ray rocket studies at AS/E; Leon
Golub's group continues them today.
| Launch Date | Mission | Rocket type | PI |
| 1968 Mar 15 | NASA 4.209CS | Aerobee 150 | Reidy,Vaiana |
| 1968 Jun 8 | NASA 4.263CS | Aerobee 150 | Reidy,Vaiana |
| 1969 Nov 4 | NASA 4.283CS | Aerobee 150 | Manko,Vaiana |
| 1970 Mar 7 | NASA 4.284CS | Aerobee 150 | Vaiana | Eclipse | |
| 1970 Nov 24 | NASA 4.285CS | Aerobee 150 | Vaiana |
| 1972 Jul 10 | NASA 13.28CS | Aerobee 150 | Davis |
| 1973 Mar 8 | NASA 13.29CS | Aerobee 150 | Vaiana |
| 1973 Jun 2 | NASA 13.97CS | Aerobee 150 | Davis |
| 1986 Oct 22 | NASA 27.099US | Black Brant 8C | Golub |
| 1988 Jun 23 | NASA 36.035US | Black Brant 9 | Golub | NIXT |
| 1989 Sep 11 | NASA 36.052US | Black Brant 9 | Golub |
| 1991 Feb 22 | NASA 36.070US | Black Brant 9 | Golub |
| 1991 Jul 11 | NASA 36.087US | Black Brant 9 | Golub |
| 1993 Apr 12 | NASA 36.099US | Black Brant 9 | Golub | NIXT |
| 2000 Sep 5 | NASA 36.151US | Black Brant 9 | Golub |
| 2001 Jun 21 | NASA 36.199US | Black Brant 9 | Golub | TXI |
Non-astronomical American Science and Engineering rocket flights.
Some early AS/E rockets with particle detectors.
| Launch Date | Mission | Rocket type | PI |
| 1963 Dec 9 | AFCRL AC15.610 | Astrobee 200 | Reidy | Ionization |
| 1965 Mar 30 | OAR 22-4 | Blue Scout Jr | Paolini | Radiation |
| 1967 Jun 13 | NASA 14.297CE | Nike Apache | Waters | OGO-E detector |
Later American Science and Engineering Solar Rocket Missions
After the SAO HEA group was formed, solar physics rocket research continued
at American Science and Engineering under John M. Davis and J. Daniel Moses.
These flights are listed here for completeness.
| Launch Date | Mission | Rocket type | PI |
| 1974 Jan 16 | NASA 26.14CS | Aerobee 200A | Davis |
| 1974 Jun 27 | NASA 26.15CS | Aerobee 200A | Davis |
| 1976 Sep 16 | NASA 13.134CS | Aerobee 170A | Davis |
| 1976 Nov 17 | NASA 27.001CS | Black Brant 8C | Davis |
| 1978 Jan 31 | NASA 27.029CS | Black Brant 8C | Davis |
| 1979 Nov 7 | NASA 27.030CS | Black Brant 8C | Davis |
| 1979 Nov 16 | NASA 4.337CS | Aerobee 150 | Davis |
| 1981 Feb 13 | NASA 27.050CS | Black Brant 8C | Davis |
| 1985 Aug 3 | NASA 21.094S | Black Brant 5B | Davis |
| 1987 Aug 15 | NASA 36.021CS | Black Brant 9 | Moses |
| 1987 Dec 11 | NASA 36.038CS | Black Brant 9 | Moses |
