The M-100 was a two-stage Soviet 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...

. As some 6640 of these rockets were built between 1957 and 1990, it was the most used sounding rocket model ever. Payloads typically radioed science data to ground while descending by parachute. Cross-calibrations with Western counterparts has allowed data's inclusion in global databases. Unfortunately, production ceased on demise of Soviet Union.

M-100 rockets were not launched only from sites in former Soviet Union. Launches took also place from Kerguelen island

Kerguelen Islands

The Kerguelen Islands , also known as the Desolation Islands, are a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean constituting the emerged part of the otherwise submerged Kerguelen Plateau. The islands, along with Adélie Land, the Crozet Islands and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands are part of...

, Koroni

Koroni

Koroni or Coroni is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is a municipal unit. Known as Corone by the Venetians and Ottomans, the town of Koroni Koroni or Coroni is a...

 in Greece and Akita

Akita, Akita

is the capital city of Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan.As of June 11, 2005, with the merger of the former Kawabe District , the city has an estimated population of 323,310 and density of...

in Japan.

Data

• Payload: 15 kg
• Maximum flight height: 120 km
• Launch mass: 475 kg
• Diameter: 0.3 m
• Length: 8.34 m