A Navy Aerobee-Hi research rocket reached the altitude of 163 miles last week over White Sands Proving Ground, N. Mex. This was Aerobee-Hi's fourth try for the single-stage altitude record; three earlier rockets failed to break the Viking's record of 158 miles.
The Aerobee-Hi is not strictly a single-stage rocket. It is tossed into the air by a solid-fuel booster that burns for a few seconds. The booster does not contribute much altitude. One of the earlier Aerobee-Hi's failed because the main rocket did not ignite. The booster alone raised it only 10,000 ft.
The purpose of the Aerobee-Hi is to probe...