To commemmorate the 50th anniversary of the Leicester University X-ray Group, here are all the group's flights I am aware of - first the Skylarks and then the other rockets. I believe the first two were flown by Ken when he was still associated with UCL but were precursors to the flights done by Leicester.
In addition to the launch table below, some details on instrumentation (energy range, telescope or detector type, target) are available in another somewhat disorganized table
As the data indicate, many Skylark flights carried multiple payloads from different institutions. Many of the early Leiceter flights were in collaboration with UCL, the Radio Research Station (RRS Ditton Park, one of the ancestors of RAL), and occasionally with Birmingham, Jodrell (JBO), University College Wales (UCW), Imperial (ICST), Culham (CUL), Southampton (SOTON), etc.
Launch sites were Woomera (WOO), Salto di Quirra in Sardinia (SDQ), El Arenosillo in Spain (ELAR), a temporary eclipse site at Karystos in Greece (KARY), and the White Sands Missile Range (WS).
Launch times are based on Citation1 in each case.
Please send corrections to Jonathan McDowell, jcm@cfa.harvard.edu
No Launch_Day_Time_UTC Launch_Vehicle_Type Var't
Flight Number Jonathan's_code_for_payload
Launch Site LaunchPad Apo/km
LaunchAgcy Fail? Institutions/Investigator
Disciplines Citation1 Citation2 1 1959 Jul 8 0013 Skylark 2 SL14 LUX-P1/UCL Ion-1 - WOO LA2 SL 93 WRE/RAE SS UCL/Pounds Ionos/Solar X IGY36 BAE 2 1959 Sep 17 0012 Skylark 2 SL12 LUX-P2/Bir-1/UCL SUV1 - WOO LA2 SL 132 WRE/RAE SS BIR/UCL/Pounds Ionos/Solar X/Solar UV IGY36 BAE 3 1960 Nov 23 2355 Skylark 2 SL49 LUX-1/UCL Ion3/UCW-1 - WOO LA2 SL 160 WRE/RAE SS RAE/UCW/LUX/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 4 1960 Dec 7 0020 Skylark 2 SL50 LUX-2/UCW-2 - WOO LA2 SL 35 WRE/RAE SF RAE/UCW/LUX/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 5 1961 Sep 27 0025 Skylark 2 SL40 LUX-3/IC-1/UCL I-4 - WOO LA2 SL 153 WRE/RAE SS UCL/LUX/ICST/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 6 1961 Oct 24 0023 Skylark 2 SL37 LUX-4/UCL I-5/JB-1 - WOO LA2 SL 142 WRE/RAE SS UCL/LUX/JBO/ Solar X/Aeron/Meteorites WDCRF BAE 7 1961 Nov 21 Skylark 5C SL83 LUX-5/UCL I-7/UCW-3 - WOO LA2 SL 0 ? WRE/RAE SF UCL/LUX/RAE/ Ionos/Solar X BAE BAE 8 1961 Dec 5 2326 Skylark 2C SL42 LUX-6/UCL I-8/Bir-4 - WOO LA2 SL 226 WRE/RAE SS BIR/UCL/LUX/Sayers,Wrenn Ionos/Solar X WDCRF PlanSpaSci9,765 9 1962 Jun 20 0520 Skylark 5C SL45 LUX-7/UCL SUV-2GS-2I - WOO LA2 SL 227 WRE/RAE SS UCL/LUX/ Aeron/Solar X WDCRF BAE 10 1962 Nov 13 1010 Skylark 7C SL114 LUX-8/JB-3/MO-2 - WOO LA2 SL 206 WRE/RAE SS UCL/LUX/JBO/UK-MO Solar X/Aeron/Meteorites WDCRF BAE 11 1963 Mar 1 0120 Skylark 7C SL84 LUX-9/UCL SUV-4/UCW-4 - WOO LA2 SL 209 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/BIR/UCW,Sayers Ionos/Solar X/Bir-5 WDCRF BAE 12 1963 Mar 11 0430 Skylark 7C SL85 LUX-10/UCL SUV-5/UCW - WOO LA2 SL 209 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/BIR/UCW,Sayers Iono/Solar X/UCW-5/Bir-6 WDCRF BAE 13 1963 May 23 0846 Skylark 7C SL115 LUX-11/JB-4/MO-3 - WOO LA2 SL 201 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UKMO/JBO/ Solar X/Aeronomy WDCRF BAE 14 1963 May 29 0435 Skylark 7C SL127 LUX-12/UCL I-12/RRS-1 - WOO LA2 SL 209 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/RSRS/Hall Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 15 1963 Jun 18 0430 Skylark 7C SL126 LUX-13/UCL I-13/RRS-2 - WOO LA2 SL 196 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/RSRS/Hall Ionos/Solar X WRCRF/Massey BAE 16 1963 Jun 20 0520 Skylark 7C SL46 LUX-14/UCL I-14SUV6 - WOO LA2 SL 227 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/ Ionos/Solar X/Solar UV WDCRF BAE 17 1963 Nov 19 0005 Skylark 7C SL103 LUX-15/UCL I-16SUV7 - WOO LA2 SL 0 ? WRE/RAE SF LUX/BIR/UCW/UCL Iono/Solar X/UCW-6/Bir-7 WDCRF BAE 18 1963 Dec 3 0459 Skylark 7C SL104 LUX-16/UCL I-17SUV8 - WOO LA2 SL 106 WRE/RAE SF LUX/BIR/UCW/UCL Iono/Solar X/UCW-7/Bir-8 WDCRF BAE 19 1964 Mar 10 0206 Skylark 7C SL129 LUX-17/SoG-1/UCL I-18 - WOO LA2 SL 175 WRE/RAE SS SOTON/LUX/ICST/UCL IC-2 Gamma Astron/Solar X TM-X-54957 BAE 20 1964 Mar 12 0207 Skylark 7C SL128 LUX-18/SoG-2/UCL I-19 - WOO LA2 SL 176 WRE/RAE SS SOTON/LUX/ICST/UCL IC-3 Gamma Astron/Solar X TM-X-54957 BAE 21 1964 Aug 11 0510 Skylark 7C SL301 LUX-19AC1/Cul-1 - WOO LA2 SL 145 WRE/RAE SS LUX/CULH/Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF BAE 22 1964 Aug 20 0536 Skylark 7C SL121 LUX-20 PHC/UCW-8 - WOO LA2 SL 192 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCW/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 23 1964 Sep 17 0556 Skylark 7C SL120 LUX-21 PHC/UCW-9 - WOO LA2 SL 192 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCW/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 24 1964 Sep 24 0442 Skylark 7C SL133 LUX-22/RSRS-3 - WOO LA2 SL 180 WRE/RAE SS RSRS/LUX/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 25 1964 Sep 29 0431 Skylark 7C SL132 LUX-23/RSRS-4 - WOO LA2 SL 174 WRE/RAE SS RSRS/LUX/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 26 1964 Oct 27 1050 Skylark 7C SL47 LUX XRS1/UCL UV-3I - WOO LA2 SL 146 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/ UV/XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 27 1964 Dec 17 0305 Skylark 7C SL302 LUX-25AC2/Cul-2 - WOO LA2 SL 167 WRE/RAE SS LUX/CULH/Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF SR6,38 28 1965 Apr 9 0101 Skylark 7C SL303 LUX-26AC3/Cul-3 - WOO LA2 SL 160 WRE/RAE SS LUX/CULH/Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF BAE 29 1965 May 19 0525 Skylark 7C SL138 LUX-27/RSRS-5 - WOO LA2 SL 179 WRE/RAE SS LUX/RSRS/Hall Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 30 1965 Jul 1 0145 Skylark 7C SL106 LUX-28/UCL I-22 - WOO LA2 SL 130 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 31 1965 Jul 29 0115 Skylark 7C SL105 LUX-29/UCL I-23 - WOO LA2 SL 0 ? WRE/RAE SF LUX/UCL/ Ionos/Solar X WDCRF BAE 32 1965 Oct 20 0520 Skylark 3 AC - SL306 LUX-30AC4/Cul-4 - WOO LA2 SL 214 WRE/RAE SS LUX/CULH/Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF BAE 33 1965 Nov 19 0454 Skylark 7C SL130 LUX-31/QUB Li-3/Bir - WOO LA2 SL 138 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/ICST/QUB Iono/Solar X/UCL I-24/IC WDCRF BAE 34 1965 Dec 13 1008 Skylark 7C SL131 LUX-32/QUB Li-4/Bir - WOO LA2 SL 130 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/ICST/QUB Iono/Solar X/UCL I-25/IC WDCRF BAE 35 1966 Feb 2 2315 Skylark 3 AC - SL307 LUX-33AC5/Cul-5 - WOO LA2 SL 216 WRE/RAE SS LUX/CULH/Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF BAE 36 1966 May 5 0414 Skylark 3 AC - SL304 LUX-34/MSSL SX1-SUV9 - WOO LA2 SL 203 WRE/RAE SS LUX/UCL/RAE/Pounds,Glen. Solar X,UV WDCRF Nature220,48 37 1966 Dec 8 1457 Skylark 3 AC - SL405 LUX-35AC6/Cul-6 - WOO LA2 SL 0 ? WRE/RAE SF LUX/CULH/Wilson,Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF BAE 38 1967 Mar 14 0600 Skylark 3 AC - SL406 LUX-36AC7/Cul-7 - WOO LA2 SL 200 WRE/RAE SS LUX/CULH/Wilson,Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF BAE 39 1967 Apr 10 1051 Skylark 7C SL118 LUX XRS2/QUB AGP4 - WOO LA2 SL 167 WRE/RAE SS LUX/QUB/Pounds,Cooke XR Astronomy WDCRF ApJ150,L189 40 1967 Apr 12 1232 Skylark 7C SL119 LUX XRS3/QUB AGP5 - WOO LA2 SL 160 WRE/RAE SS LUX/QUB/Pounds,Byrne XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 41 1967 Aug 8 0356 Skylark 3 AC - SL305 LUX-39/MSSL SX2-SUV10 - WOO LA2 SL 182 WRE/RAE SS MSSL/LUX/Pounds,Glencros Solar X,UV ProcRSocA317,101 SoPh13,389 42 1967 Nov 1 0430 Skylark 3 AC - SL407 LUX-40AC8/Cul-8 - WOO LA2 SL 209 WRE/RAE SS LUX/CULH/Wilson,Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF BAE 43 1968 Mar 20 0457 Skylark 3 - SL408 LUX-41AC9/Cul-9 - WOO LA2 SL 217 WRE/RAE SS LUX/CULH/Stewrt,Pounds Solar X,UV WDCRF SoPh15,288 44 1968 Jun 12 1030 Skylark 5C SL723 LUX XRS4 M87 Survey - WOO LA2 SL 184 WRE/RAE SS LUX/Pounds,Cooke XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 45 1968 Jul 8 0605 Skylark 3 AC - SL403 LUX XRS5 M87 Survey - WOO LA2 SL 180 WRE/RAE SS LUX/Pounds XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 46 1968 Nov 22 1116:12 Skylark 3 AC - ESRO S41/1 ESRO S41/1 LUX-44 - SDQ - 210 ESRO SS UTR/LUX/DeJager,Stw. Solar X ESRO-SP-79 BAE 47 1969 Apr 1 1024 Skylark 5C SL724 LUX XRS 6 Survey - WOO LA2 SL 192 BAC SS LUX/Cooke XR Astronomy NatPS229,144 BAE 48 1969 May 14 0244 Skylark 3 AC - SL404 Cul XUVS 2/LUX-46 - WOO LA2 SL 178 BAC SS LUX/CULH/Russell,Shent Solar UV,X WDCRF BAE/Massey 49 1969 Aug 21 0157 Skylark 3 AC - SL605 LUX-47 HRCS/PHC - WOO LA2 SL 197 BAC SS LUX/Evans,Pounds Solar X WDCRF BAE 50 1970 Mar 18 2230 Skylark 3 AC - SL901 LUX XRS7 BCS - WOO LA2 SL 208 BAC SS LUX/Cooke XR Astronomy NatPS236,104 NatPS229,175 51 1970 Mar 24 2200 Skylark 3 AC - SL802 LUX XRS8 MC - WOO LA2 SL 179 BAC SS LUX/Adams,Janes XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 52 1970 Jul 23 1355 Skylark 1 - ESRO S56A/2 LUX-50/RSRS SUV-2 - SDQ - 137 ESRO SS RSRS/LUX/Hall Ionos/Solar UV WDCRF BAE 53 1970 Oct 8 0820 Skylark 6 - SL972 LUX XRS9 - WOO LA2 SL 232 BAC SS LUX/Cooke XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 54 1970 Nov 19 2200 Skylark 3 AC - SL904 LUX XRS10 - WOO LA2 SL 209 BAC SS LUX/Janes,Barnes XR Astronomy WDCRF NatPS230,188 55 1970 Nov 24 2213 Skylark 3 AC - SL804 LUX BCS 3 - WOO LA2 SL 182 BAC SS LUX/Evans,Parkinson Solar X WDCRF SSR13,740 56 1970 Dec 6 1113 Skylark 3 - ESRO S69 LUX BCS 4 - SDQ - 187 ESRO SS LUX/Evans,Parkinson Solar X WDCRF SSR13,740 57 1971 Mar 11 0856 Skylark 3 AC - ESRO S55 LUX BCS 5 - SDQ - 159 ESRO SS LUX/TUBI/MPE/Griffiths XR Astronomy/Solar X NatPS236,104 SoPh57,345 58 1971 Mar 25 1350 Skylark 7C ESRO S56B/1 LUX-55/RSRS - SDQ - 130 ESRO SF LUX/RSRS/BONN/Hall Ionos/Solar UV,X WDCRF BAE 59 1971 May 10 1203 Skylark 6 AC - SL812 LUX XRS11 Survey - WOO LA2 SL 219 BAC SF LUX/Adams XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 60 1971 May 14 Skylark 1 - S56B/2 LUX-57/RSRS - SDQ - 190 ? ESRO SS LUX/RSRS/ Ionos/Solar UV,X BAE BAE 61 1971 Sep 27 0230 Skylark 6 AC - SL1002 LUX XRS12 - WOO LA2 SL 224 BAC SS LUX/Janes XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 62 1971 Oct 20 0940 Skylark 3 AC - ESRO S89 LUX BCS 6 - SDQ - 210 ? ESRO SS LUX/ Solar X WDCRF BAE 63 1971 Nov 30 0559 Skylark 3 AC - SL1101 LUX BCS 7 - WOO LA2 SL 193 BAC SS LUX/Pounds Solar X WDCRF BAE 64 1972 Dec 7 0503 Skylark 3 AC - SL1202 LUX XRS13 - WOO LA2 SL 248 BAC SS LUX/Hoffman,Janes XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 65 1973 Feb 28 2000 Skylark 6 AC - SL1010 LUX XRS14 - WOO LA2 SL 199 BAC SS LUX/Griffiths XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 66 1973 Apr 17 1535 Skylark 6 AC - SL1011 LUX XRS15 - WOO LA2 SL 214 BAC SS LUX/Adams,Whitford XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 67 1973 Nov 26 0535 Skylark 6 AC - SL1206 LUX BCS 8 (Mk3 BCS) - WOO LA2 SL 238 BAC SS LUX/Pounds,Pye Solar X WDCRF AAp65,123 68 1974 Oct 7 0633:30 Skylark 6 AC - SL1309 (DLR H-GR-59) Astro 9 (LUX XRS16) - ELAR - 190 DFVLR SS LUX/MPE/Giles,Staubert XR Astronomy ApJ201,L15 Moraba 69 1975 Jun 24 1118 Skylark 6 AC - SL1105 LUX XRS17 - WOO LA2 SL 180 BAC SS LUX/Pounds XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 70 1975 Nov 24 1515 Skylark 7 AC - SL1112 LUX XRS18/Saclay - WOO LA2 SL 251 BAC SS LUX/CEA/Pounds XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE 71 1976 Nov 4 0745 Skylark 6 AC - SL1306 LUX XRS19 LAPC - WOO LA2 SL 191 BAC SS LUX/Pounds,Giles XR Astronomy WDCRF BAE
N1 1963 Dec 13 2232 Nike Apache - NASA 14.37GI - - WS - 73 NASA SF GSFC/LUX/Whipple Solar X/Ionos WDCRF - N2 1964 Apr 21 1618 Aerobee 150 - NASA 04.113GA-GI Astrochemistry - WS LC35 11 NASA SF GSFC/LUX/Aiken,Berg Meteorites/Ionos/Solar X WDCRF - N3 1965 Dec 14 1249 Centaure 1 - CE-6 ESRO C06/1 - SDQ - 159 ESRO SS UTR/LUX/UCL/ Solar X ESRO-SP-76 Massey N4 1966 May 15 0502 Centaure 1 - CE-5 ESRO C06/2 - KARY - 143 ESRO SS UTR/LUX/Stewardsn,DJ Solar X ESRO-SP-77 - N5 1977 Jul 27 0535 Astrobee F - NASA 25.21UH MIT WIXT 1 - WS - 190 NASA SS MIT/LUX/Rappaport XR Astron WDCRF - N6 1978 Mar 8 0400 Astrobee F - NASA 25.23UH MIT WIXT 2 - WS - 190 NASA SS MIT/LUX/Rappaport XR Astronomy WDCRF - N7 1981 Oct 17 Astrobee F - NASA 25.40UH MIT WFSXC 1 - WS - 200 ? NASA SS MIT/LUX/Rappaport XR Astron WISR - N8 1982 Nov 1 0816 Black Brant VC - NASA 21.69UH MIT WFSXC 2 - WS LC36 210 NASA SS MIT/LUX/Rappaport XR Astron WISR - N9 1985 Mar 18 0850 Black Brant VC - NASA 21.70UH MIT WFSXC 3 - WS LC36 213 NASA SS MIT/LUX/Rappaport XR Astron WISR - N10 2000 Feb 26 0459:00 Black Brant IX - NASA 36.162DG J-PEX 1 - WS - 10 ? GSFC SF NRL/LUX/Cruddace,Barstow UV Astron WWW-WFF - N11 2001 Feb 22 0455:00 Black Brant IX - NASA 36.195DG J-PEX 2 - WS - 300 ? NASA SS NRL/LUX/Cruddace,Barstow UV Astron WWW-WFF -
1977 Feb 20 Astrobee F - - LUX/ASE Wolter I - WS - 270 NASA SS LUX/ASE/ Solar X Massey -
Note 1: The Feb 1977 flight at the end of the table is mentioned in Massey's "History of British Space Science" but there is no other evidence for it. It may be a mistake for the Jul 1977 flight.
Note 2: The "Fail?" column is marked SS for a successful suborbital flight, SF for a suborbital flight on which the rocket failed. In a significant number of cases, even though the rocket succeeded, the payload did not return any useful scientific data - I don't have records of this and those flights are marked SS just like the successful ones.
Citations: WDCRF = World Data Center A, Rocket File; WISR = NASA Wallops Island Sounding Rocket list; BAE = British Aerospace Skylark launch list