A small, unmanned sounding rocket used to study the upper atmosphere, especially by the U.S. military and NASA from the 1940s onward.
From aero- (air) + -bee (from 'bee,' suggesting motion/activity), a brand name that became generic; developed during post-WWII rocket research.
The Aerobee was America's workhorse for space science — it flew hundreds of missions carrying instruments to study radiation, cosmic rays, and the upper atmosphere before satellites took over. It's a perfect example of how a company's product name can become the common word for an entire category.
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