What is the muzzle velocity produced by the launch motor?

• A. 250 fps
• B. 190 fps
• C. 215 fps
• D. 300 fps

Answer: (C)

Muzzle velocity is the speed the projectile has exactly as it leaves the launcher. For this system, the launch motor is designed to provide a short, controlled impulse to push the missile out of the tube and get it clear of the launcher before the main sustainer motor takes over. That initial push is set to a specific value, which is 215 feet per second.

Why that value fits: it’s tuned so the missile exits smoothly and the guidance system can initialize properly without instability, while still leaving room for the subsequent sustainer phase to accelerate the missile to its final flight speed. The other numbers would indicate a different motor performance—either more or less initial thrust than the launch motor is designed to produce—so they don’t match the defined muzzle velocity of the launch motor.