Anti-hail rockets
Anti-hail rockets
- The rocket method is used over flat terrains with a large number of rocket sites with specific requirements and spacing apart from one another, so that the whole area is in range of a rocket site. Also a radar center for 24-hour monitoring of clouds and special systems to communicate with the rocket site operators is needed.
- An advantage of the method is that the agent can be introduced into the right place and in a really short amount of time (usually between 1 and 2 minutes), while maintaining continuous seeding with comparatively small amount of seeding agent.
- The rockets “Loza-2” and “Loza-7” have a caliber of 55 mm with various technical indicators, shown in the table below, which determine the height and length of the flight.
- After starting the rocket launcher on the ground, the rocket engine works for a time listed below, then the seeding agent is ignited, dispersing ice-forming particles in clouds at the previously specified height, in the -5 ˚C to -10 ˚ C range. The addition of ice-forming particles aims to cause early rainout of the feeder clouds and to produce beneficial competition, in turn reducing the size of the hailstones and allowing them to melt until they reach the ground. After 40 seconds the rocket is self-destroyed by an explosion so that small harmless pieces fall on the ground.
- The rocket method is one of the first cloud seeding methodologies to be developed and it is very well-studied. Thus operational anti-hail programs using it have been deployed in a large number of countries around the world.
- The use of the rocket method has the highest efficiency worldwide – more than 80%.
- The downsides of the rocket method are that it requires coordination with Air Traffic Control and a large number of personnel to service the missile sites. Also highly qualified staff to operate the additional ground-based radar and coordinate the whole operational program are required. Additionally, rockets cannot be used over populated areas.
