Operation Have Horn
Encyclopedia
Operation Have Horn was a project in 1969 by the United States Air Force
that involved the launching of Nike Hydac
sounding rocket
s. It occurred at North Truro Air Force Station
, located in North Truro
, Massachusetts
. Upon completion of the operation in 1970, the used devices were returned to the White Sands Missile Range
, in New Mexico
.Have Horn was support and carried out by the Missile and Drone Division of the Air Force Missile Development Center, Holloman Air Force Base
, New Mexico
.
area rather than attempt to move the sensor to Holloman AFB. Under the code name Have Horn, a sounding rocket launcher and associated equipment was installed at North Truro Air Force Station
. A series of Nike Hydac
sounding rockets were fired beginning December 1969, to test MIT sensors. Launches continued until early 1970, after which all equipment was airlifted back to Holloman Air Force Base
. Wayne O. Mattson was launch control officer for this exercise.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
that involved the launching of Nike Hydac
Nike Hydac
Nike Hydac is the designation of an American sounding rocket with two stages, based upon the Nike Ajax system. The Nike Hydac was launched 87 times from many missile sites...
sounding rocket
Sounding rocket
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The origin of the term comes from nautical vocabulary, where to sound is to throw a weighted line from a ship into...
s. It occurred at North Truro Air Force Station
North Truro Air Force Station
North Truro Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east of North Truro, Massachusetts....
, located in North Truro
North Truro
North Truro is a village in the town of Truro, Massachusetts, United States. Due to its proximity to urbanized Provincetown, it is somewhat more densely developed than the rest of the town, with houses and small resort facilities lining the two main thoroughfares, U.S. Route 6 and MA Route 6A...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Upon completion of the operation in 1970, the used devices were returned to the White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
, in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.Have Horn was support and carried out by the Missile and Drone Division of the Air Force Missile Development Center, Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
History
An analysis determined that have a launch site in the New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
area rather than attempt to move the sensor to Holloman AFB. Under the code name Have Horn, a sounding rocket launcher and associated equipment was installed at North Truro Air Force Station
North Truro Air Force Station
North Truro Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located east of North Truro, Massachusetts....
. A series of Nike Hydac
Nike Hydac
Nike Hydac is the designation of an American sounding rocket with two stages, based upon the Nike Ajax system. The Nike Hydac was launched 87 times from many missile sites...
sounding rockets were fired beginning December 1969, to test MIT sensors. Launches continued until early 1970, after which all equipment was airlifted back to Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
. Wayne O. Mattson was launch control officer for this exercise.
Nike platform
- Section source: Astronuatix
- Type: two stage
- Stage 1: Nike - solid propellant rocket stage, loaded/empty mass 599/256 kg
- Stage 2: Hydac - solid propellant rocket stage, loaded mass 300 kg
- Gross mass: 900 kg (1,980 lb)
- Height: 9.10 m (29.80 ft)
- Diameter: 0.42 m (1.37 ft)
- Thrust: 217.00 kN (48,783 lbf)
- Apogee: 150 km (90 mi)
- Type: two stage