Vibro-acoustic launch protection experiment (VALPE)

Abstract

Launch acoustic and vibration loads have the potential to damage sensitive payloads within a payload fairing, often requiring more structural mass to withstand these loads than would otherwise be necessary to survive launch. Experiments demonstrating several vibro-acoustic mitigation technologies developed by AFRL/VS and its contractors flew on the Vibro-Acoustic Launch Protection Experiment 2 (VALPE-2) aboard a Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket from Wallops Island Flight Facility in August 2003. Flight data collected in November 2002 from a nearly identical launch (VALPE-1) was used to characterize the fairing environment for comparison. Preparations for the flight experiments are discussed along with the performance of the various experiments in flight. The several experiments include an Adaptive Vibro-Acoustic Device (AVAD) to mitigate acoustic loads, an active/passive hybrid vibration isolation system using voice-coil actuation and a ShockRing passive component, a voice-coil regenerative electronics vibration isolation system to absorb a portion of the vibration energy during launch and use it to power an active isolation system during a staging event, and a ChamberCore composite fairing with implications for passive acoustic performance.