Modern high-altitude rockets are not always complex monsters like their ancestral V2. They are steadily growing smaller, simpler and cheaper. This week Republic Aviation Corp. told about a non-military rocket that it is manufacturing for a Defense Department project administered by the University of Maryland. Called the Terrapin (after the university's mascot), it is a two-stage, solid-propellant rocket that climbs 80 miles.
The extraordinary thing about the Terrapin is its small size and simplicity. It is less than 15 ft. long, 6ΒΌ in. in diameter, and weighs only 224 lbs. It has none...
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