HPM@CMU-CS-C (12/19/82)
What luck. Aviation Week just published (Dec 27, 1982) an "executive index", and I was able to find the last Otrag article. In the October 4, 1982 issue, p 21, we have "Otrag to Market Sounding Rockets" ... liquid propulsion sounding rockets as an interim step toward development of a satellite orbital launch vehicle. The new sales concept results from an Otrag management change and program reorientation that followed company problems in the 1970s, including loss of launching rights in Zaire (AWST May 7, 1979, p18). Otrag estimates its production of propulsion units from a new plant in Garching, near Munich, will be five per month through 1983. Otrag conducted four test flights from Zaire and Libya between May 1977 and March 1981. Otrag is negotiating a new launch site and a new working relationship with the German government, necessary because of political problems faced earlier (AWST Sept 12, 1977, p 42). Frank K. Wukasch, who succeeded former Otrag pres. Lutz T. Kayser in 1980 said the organization is taking steps to rebuild its image. Otrag's family of sounding rockets begins with a single stage unit with payload of 200kg to 50km or 30kg to 90km and ends with a two stage vehicle with six of their standard liquid propulsion units as first stage wrapped around a single unit, which becomes the second stage, which can launch 500kg to 280km or 50kg to 655km. -------
HPM@CMU-CS-C (12/28/82)
I've lost the reference, but there was further news of Otrag in AWST about four months ago. Otrag is out of Libya and making arrangements with a South American country (Brazil?). Under pressure from the German investors the politically controversial head of the company, Lutz Kayser, has been ousted, and the operations have been opened to greater outside scrutiny. The financial position could be better. -------