Page "Loki (rocket)" Paragraph 20

The Air Force Meteorologists and NASA's Observational Scientists desired higher apogees with the ROBINSphere payloads in the early 1970s.

In 1972, Space Data completed the development of the Viper IIIA solid propellant rocket motor.

This motor followed the design of the Super Loki nearly identically and provided apogees of ~ 120 km for the ROBINSphere.

This higher apogee allowed for measuring the wind and atmospheric vertical profiles through the 110 – 95 km region that were unobtainable from the Super Loki boosted ROBINSphere.