Editing Sounding rocket (section)

==Applications==
===Meteorology===
{{further|Atmospheric sounding}}
[[File:Loki-dart display.jpg|right|thumb|A Loki-Dart (foreground) on display at the [[White Sands Missile Range]] [[rocket garden]]]]

[[Weather]] observations, up to an altitude of 75&nbsp;km, are done with '''rocketsondes''', a kind of sounding rocket for [[atmosphere|atmospheric]] observations that consists of a [[rocket]] and [[radiosonde]]. The sonde records data on [[temperature]], [[moisture]], [[wind speed]] and direction, [[wind shear]], [[atmospheric pressure]], and [[air density]] during the flight. [[Geographic coordinate system|Position]] data ([[altitude]] and [[latitude]]/[[longitude]]) may also be recorded.

Common meteorological rockets are the [[Loki (rocket)|Loki]] and [[Loki (rocket)|Super Loki]], typically 3.7 m tall and powered by a 10&nbsp;cm diameter [[Solid-fuel rocket|solid fuel rocket motor]]. The rocket motor separates at an altitude of 1500 m and the rest of the rocketsonde coasts to [[apogee]] (highest point). This can be set to an altitude of 20&nbsp;km to 113&nbsp;km.

===Research===
Sounding rockets are commonly used for:
* Research in [[aeronomy]], the study of the [[upper atmosphere]], which requires this tool for ''in situ'' measurements in the upper atmosphere.
*[[Ultraviolet astronomy|Ultraviolet]] and [[X-ray astronomy]], which require being above the bulk of the Earth's atmosphere.
*[[Microgravity]] research which benefits from a few minutes of [[weightlessness]] on rockets launched to altitudes of a few hundred kilometers.
*[[Remote sensing]] of Earth resources uses sounding rockets to get an essentially instant synoptic view of the geographical area under observation.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1080/07038992.1976.10854945| title=Remote Sensing of Earth Resources Sounding Rocket Capabilities| year=1976| last1=Payne| first1=B.R.| last2=Baird| first2=J.L.| journal=Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing| volume=2| pages=12–17| bibcode=1976CaJRS...2...12P}}</ref>

===Dual use===
Due to the high military relevance of ballistic missile technology, there has always been a close relationship between sounding rockets and military missiles. It is a typical [[dual-use technology]], which can be used for both civil and military purposes.<ref>DeVorkin, Science With A Vengeance, [[Springer-Verlag]], New York, 1992, ISBN 0-387-94137-1</ref> During the [[Cold War]], the Federal Republic of Germany cooperated on this topic with countries that had not signed the [[Non-Proliferation Treaty]] on Nuclear Weapons at that time, such as Brazil, Argentina and India. In the course of investigations by the [[peace movement#Germany|German peace movement]], this cooperation was revealed by a group of physicists in 1983.<ref name=NeS1983>{{cite journal | last = Campbell | author-link = Duncan Campbell (journalist, born 1952)| first = D. | date = 5 August 1983 | title = Germany helps Brazil to nuclear supremacy | journal = [[New Statesman]] | url= https://www.duncancampbell.org/menu/journalism/newstatesman/newstatesman-1983/germany%20helps%20brazil%20to%20nucular%20supremacy.pdf }}</ref> The international discussion that was thus set in motion led to the development of the [[Missile Technology Control Regime]] (MTCR) at the level of G7 states. Since then, lists of technological equipment whose export is subject to strict controls have been drawn up within the MTCR framework.