Sounding Rocket

A sounding rocket, also called a rocketsonde, research rocket or suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The cited article says such rockets are often used to launch instruments from about 50 to 150 kilometres above the surface of the Earth, an altitude generally between weather balloons and satellites, and that because of their suborbital flight profile they are often much simpler than counterparts built for orbital flight. Certain sounding rockets reach an apogee between 1,000 and 1,500 kilometres, such as the Black Brant X and XII. Launch vehicles of this class are grouped under this concept.