Some aerodynamic problems of satellite launch vehicles

Abstract

A Satellite Launch Vehicle, during its atmospheric flight, presents a variety of aerodynamic problems for which solutions are to be obtained through analytical and experimental techniques. Generally, the problems are complex and three-dimensional in nature and quite often involve multibody interactions, interactions between the free stream and propulsive jet etc. In this paper, attention is confined to the current aerodynamic problems of interest tovssc in relation to the Augmented and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles under development. Aerodynamically, these are multibody configurations with strap-on boosters and have bulbous payload shrouds. Five important problem areas, namely, vehicle lift-off, strap-on aerodynamics, strap-on separation, stage-separation aerodynamics and boat-tail aerodynamics are selected for presenting some of the recent work done invssc using both computational and experimental methods. The main emphasis is on results and applications rather than on details of the methods used.