36.260 UG Black Brant IX was launched from White Sands Missile Range, NM on November 21, 2012. The primary goal of this project is to image the unique galaxy M101 in three medium ultraviolet bands to probe the dependence of the UV dust extinction features on formation and processing mechanisms. The galaxy M101 provides a unique laboratory due to its strong metallicity gradient and many HII regions (Kennicutt etal.,2003). This allows the study of the properties of dust as a function of formation (i.e.,metallicity) and processing (i.e., radiation field hardness) mechanisms in a single observation. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Timothy Cook/University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Read more about this mission at the University of Massachusetts website:
http://www.uml.edu/News/stories/2011-12/Cook-rocket-experiment.aspx