Altitude Rocket Research Articles

Investigation of Flight Performance of Notched Delta Wing Rockets on Different Types of Nose Cones

In this study, four solid fuel model rockets with conical, parabolic, power and haack series nose cones that can carry 4 kg payload at an average altitude of 3 km were designed in the OpenRocket program. Later, the notched delta fin model was mounted on these designed model rockets. The effects of this fin model on the changes in the speed, stability, acceleration, weight and altitude of the rockets were analyzed numerically in the OpenRocket program. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the conical nose rocket showed the worst flight performance and the Haack series nose cone rocket model showed the best performance. When used with the notched delta fin of the Haack series model, it was determined that the rocket's altitude increased by 7.67%, and its speed increased by 1.83%, but decreased by 1.2% in mach number, 0.6% in weight, 0.3% in acceleration, and 4.5% in stability. As a result, it was seen that it would be beneficial to consider the nose cone and fin together when evaluating the flight performance of the rocket. The results obtained in the study have shown that the notched delta fin model can be used experimentally in defense industry and model rocket applications and the studies can be advanced.

Numerical Exploration of Low Altitude Rocket Plume in Aircraft Vicinity

Low altitude plume of a solid rocket motor is numerically explored. The effects of free stream Mach number, altitude and presence of launch platform wing on plume shape are studied. Three-dimensional Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations along with k-ε turbulence model and species transport equations are solved using commercial CFD software CFX-11. Thermochemical parameters (Mach number, pressure, temperature and propellant hot gas mass fraction) are analysed to characterize the plume. Mixing layer boundaries, its thickness and the attainment of self-similarity are evaluated to study the plume structure. With the increase of free stream Mach number, the computed plume diameter reduces. Centerline pressure, temperature and radial expansion of the plumes increases with the increase in altitude. Plume is found to be elongated and narrowed with relatively warm core region due to the presence of platform wing.

Suppression of Ionospheric Irregularity Due to Auroral Particle Impact

AbstractThe VISIONS‐2 35.039 sounding rocket was launched from Ny‐Ålesund, Svalbard, on 7 December 2018 at 11:06 UT, and traveled overhead of the cusp aurora. The payload reached an apogee of 806.6 km and provided measurements of the electric field (E) and electron density (Ne) with a high sampling rate of 6,250 Hz. The high‐sampling‐data make it possible to estimate the horizontal structure of E and Ne on scales ranging from meters to kilometers scale. The horizontal variation in the electron density and electric field (ΔNe/Ne and ΔE) and integrated power of Ne and E (ΣPNe and ΣPE) for 1–10, 10–100, and 100–1,000 Hz range were derived. The derived values were compared with the 557.7 and 630.0 nm emission intensities obtained from an all‐sky camera installed in Ny‐Ålesund projected at the footprint of the rocket, which was calculated by tracing the Earth's magnetic field line from the rocket altitude to the emission layer. ΔNe/Ne, ΔE, ΣPNe, and ΣPE increased with the 630.0 nm emission intensity. Of particular interest is the lower level irregularity was observed when the 557.7 nm emission intensity exceeded 4.5 kR compared with other time interval. This may suggest that particle impact ionization created sufficient Pedersen conductance in the E‐region to short the F‐region current. This short‐circuit seemed to cause the suppression of the irregularities in the F‐region and lower level irregularities were also observed in the rocket altitude.

Method for Estimating Optimal Position of S-Band Relay Station through Path Loss Analysis in an Outdoor Environment

This article investigates a novel estimation method to optimize the position of a relay station of the S-band telemetry system in outdoor environments. To determine an optimal relay station position, complex terrain surface and buildings near the Naro Space Center are included in the EM (Electromagnetic) simulation. The optimal relay station position is then determined using the estimation method by comparing the path losses from the rocket to the main station and some candidate positions of the relay station. To better understand the path loss, the ray analysis is also conducted, and the result demonstrates that once the rocket altitude to be covered by the relay station is determined, it is possible to find the optimum position of the relay station.

Numerical analysis of point-source infrared radiation phenomena of rocket exhaust plumes at low and middle altitudes

Rocket exhaust plume treated as a significant radiation source has been widely used in space-based detection. In this paper, infrared radiation signatures of plumes were studied in the view of the phenomenon. The reacting plume flows were calculated by an axisymmetric computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver. Radiative properties of gases were evaluated with the statistical narrow-band (SNB) model by relying on the NASA-3080 database. The line-of-sight (LOS) based on the single-line-group (SLG) approximation was employed for radiative transfer computations. The numerical model was validated against reference data. Based on this model, radiation characteristics of Atlas-II liquid rocket plumes were computed and analyzed in aspects of afterburning, atmospheric attenuation, spectral bands and observation angle. Results show that afterburning has a significant improvement in the wavelengths of 1.5–6.0 μm. Also, the atmospheric attenuation greatly decreases the plume radiance at low altitudes but it can be ignored above 40 km. Radiance is strongly dependent on the spectral bands. The altitude-varying spectral dependency can contribute to the rocket altitude estimation. The effect of the observation angle on the radiance distributions is varying with the spectra band and the flight altitude. These results are helpful for the design of the rocket motors and the application of the infrared detecting system.

Возникновение ударного запуска течения в газодинамической трубе, предназначенной для испытаний высотного ракетного двигателя

Возникновение ударного запуска течения в газодинамической трубе, предназначенной для испытаний высотного ракетного двигателя

Numerical simulation of radiation in high altitude solid propellant rocket plumes

Models and computational schemes are presented to simulate the flow field and radiation in solid propellant rocket plumes at high altitude. Different models are developed to calculate plume radiation induced by both the gas and the dispersed phase of alumina particles. Simulations were made to reproduce a 110 km altitude rocket plume and comparisons with experimental data on the plume radiance are presented. Influence of different physical processes on the simulation of the plume flow field and radiation is discussed, such as alumina phase change, scattering and the coupling of radiation with the two-phase flow.

Optimization of collision avoidance maneuver planning for cluster satellites in space debris explosion situation

In this study, the conjunction situation when a number of explosion fragments approach four cluster satellites was simulated, and an optimum avoidance maneuver plan that mitigates this risk was established. The orbits of four deputy satellites around a virtual chief satellite were defined using the Hill–Clohessy–Wiltshire equation, and NASA’s breakup model was applied to similar altitude rocket body to simulate explosions situation. The distribution of 230 explosion fragments after an explosion was simulated, and the size and direction of the Delta-V were applied to each fragment. In this situation, the collision avoidance maneuver planning strategy that uses heuristic algorithm was proposed to establish efficient avoidance maneuver plan for approaching fragments after the explosion. Avoidance maneuver plans using four heuristic algorithms were established to minimize the fuel consumption of the four cluster satellites within several constraints including conjunction risk, ground track and formation between cluster satellites. Eight simulations were performed with different combinations of the four heuristic algorithms and different generations and populations. As a result, all avoidance maneuver plan satisfied conjunction risk constraint as well as the other complex constraints. In particular, particle swarm optimization–gravitational search algorithm established the most efficient maneuver plan with the least fuel consumption and fastest convergence speed.

Pseudo-analytic approach to determine optimal conditions for maximizing altitude of sounding rocket

A pseudo-analytic approach is suggested to determine the optimal launching conditions for maximizing the altitude of a sounding rocket flying with a constant mass flow of propellant in a standard atmosphere. The one-dimensional rocket momentum equation including thrust, gravitational force, and aerodynamic drag is considered, for which it is impossible to obtain the analytic solutions since the governing equation is nonlinear. The piecewise pseudo-analytic solutions are obtained with a constant control parameter introduced to make the velocity integral in the governing equation be analytic. The rocket flight in the standard atmosphere is analyzed by dividing the entire range into small intervals where the drag parameter or the gravitational acceleration can be treated as a constant in each interval. The pseudo-analytic approach gives precise predictions of the rocket velocity and the rocket altitude that agree well with the numerical ones. A characteristic equation exists and provides accurate predictions of the optimal mass flow rate for maximizing the altitude at burn-out state or at apogee.

Heat-activated Parachute Release System

Release of a parachute at the apex of a rocket flight is a problem for every amateur rocket enthusiast. Existing commercially available methods all require the use of gunpowder, which can have licensing and safety complications depending upon the local laws. Axiomatic design analysis has shown that there is also high information content in this method. Users must precisely calculate the amount of black gunpowder to be used based upon altitude and rocket geometry. At the highest altitudes, gunpowder combustion gases are insufficient due to the low ambient pressure, so CO2 expansion actuation is used instead. These solutions using CO2 have lower information content, but are still activated using gunpowder and dependent upon altitude. Our analysis has led to the technique of using heat-activated materials as a CO2 valve release, a solution with lower information content. This design works with all sizes of amateur rockets up to Tripoli Rocketry Association Class 3 without knowledge of rocket apex altitude.

Launching Process for Variable-Mass Rockets by Series Solution

In this study, the mathematical investigation of rocket motion path is presented using analytical and numerical methods . Differential transform method and fourth-order Runge-Kutta method are used for solving the current problem. A parametric study is performed which includes the effect of exhaust velocity (Ce), burn rate (BR) of fuel and diameter of cylindrical rocket (d) on the motion of a sample rocket. Also a realistic comparison of four on-line and active rockets is presented and the result is discussed. The main results indicate that the present analytical technique has high accuracy in comparison with the numerical solution. It is illustrated that the rocket velocity and altitude are increased with increasing the Ce and BR and decreased with increasing the rocket diameter. Finally it is concluded that Mu-3S-II rocket reaches to higher velocities and altitudes faster in comparison with the other introduced rockets.

A Confirmatory Evaluation of the Grossver Such IV Experiment Using Hailpad Data (French Network 1977- 1981)

Grossversuch IV is a collaborative project, coordinated by the Institute for Atmospheric Physics of E.T.H. in Zurich. It includes the participation of universities and government agencies of France, Italy and Switzerland. Each participating group contributes its particular expertise toward a program designed to test whether a hail suppression method similar to the one proposed by scientists in the USSR, using their high altitude rockets, can successfully be applied in Central Europe, taking into account the climatic and logistic boundary conditions of the regions. The field program includes a 3 cm radar with PPI and RHI for measuring the parameters needed for the seeding criteria, launchers for the Soviet Oblako rockets, a O cm radar with PPI to measure precipitation quantiatively, and a ground network of hailpads with sufficient density to measure kinetic energy and massive hail in the test area.

An Overview of the Space-based Observations for Upper Atmospheric Research

The upper atmospheric research is of importance both in understanding the global change and the sun-earth connection and in applications of near space weather.It aims to understand and model the dynamical,chemical and radiative processes and their interactions in the upper atmosphere.The ground-based,high altitude aircraft,stratospheric balloon,rocket,and space-based observations have provided many data about the dynamical,thermal and chemical structures and variations in the upper atmosphere.This article will give an overview about the space-based observations which play an essential role in the upper atmosphere researches.Past,current and near future satellite missions and remote sensors for upper atmospheric observation and some important scientific results are summarized.

Parallel electric fields inferred during a pulsating aurora

Abstract. A sounding rocket, equipped to study pulsating aurora launched from Poker Flat, Alaska on 13 March 1997 at 10:20:31 UT, measured electron precipitation over the range ~10 eV to 500 keV covering pitch-angles from 0 to 180°. Data show electrons with energies <1 keV are mostly secondaries produced below the rocket altitude by the higher energy precipitated electrons. We observed nearly equal fluxes of up and down going electrons for energies <1 keV at altitudes from 265 to 380 km. Electron transport simulation results indicate the secondaries produced by the more energetic electrons will have two times higher flux in the upward direction as compared to the downward direction. Our observations of nearly equal fluxes of up and downgoing electrons over a large range of altitudes is consistent with the presence of an electric potential above the rocket that reflects the upgoing electrons back toward the rocket where they are detected as downward going electrons. The strength of the potential is estimated to be 1.5±0.5 kV and its location is no greater than 5000km above the rocket. Finally, the inferred potential drop exists independently of the presence of pulsations.

Numerical modeling of electron energy‐time dispersions in the high‐latitude part of the cusp region

We have constructed a one‐dimensional numerical model of electron acceleration with dispersive Alfvén waves using realistic parameters based on a rocket observation in the high‐latitude part of the cusp region. This paper demonstrates that our model could quantitatively reproduce important characteristics of observed electron energy‐time dispersions, such as their fluxes, energy range, pitch angle distribution, and source altitudes. The energy‐time dispersion at the rocket altitude is produced by a time‐of‐flight effect of magnetosheath‐originated electrons accelerated by the resonant interaction with inertial Alfvén waves (IAWs) at altitudes of 2000 ∼ 6000 km. The higher‐energy electrons are generated at higher altitudes. The energy‐time dispersion changes according to three key parameters: wave power, perpendicular wavelength, and wave frequency. The wave power affects the flux and the maximum electron energy, and the perpendicular wavelength affects the source altitude calculated by the time‐of‐flight analysis, while the wave frequency (time period) affects the time width of the energy‐time dispersion. We summarize a reasonable set of these parameters for a typical energy‐time dispersion observed in the cusp/cleft region. Finally, we suggest that the IAWs are generated at the dayside magnetopause in association with magnetic reconnection and then propagate toward the ionosphere along the open field line connected to the magnetosheath. Their resonant acceleration of local electrons injected from the magnetosheath at altitudes of several thousand kilometers is the cause for multiple electron energy‐time dispersions observed in the high‐latitude part of the cusp region.

Propagation of beam‐driven VLF waves from the ionosphere toward the ground

As part of the Cooperative High Altitude Rocket Gun Experiment (CHARGE‐2B) rocket mission, an electron beam was injected into the ionosphere with a modulated beam current in an effort to generate very low frequency (VLF) waves. The propagation of the beam‐driven VLF waves through the ionosphere is examined here to determine whether it is possible to detect these wave emissions with ground receivers. The paths of the VLF waves from where they were generated near the rocket were followed to the bottom of the ionosphere and the decrease in wave amplitude due to wave‐particle resonance and collisional damping was calculated. It was found that due to collisional damping, which for these VLF waves becomes large at altitudes below about 150 km, wave amplitudes were decreased below the background atmospheric noise level. A number of different beam injection events have been examined and in all of the cases studied the waves were sufficiently damped such that detection on the ground would not be possible. This is in agreement with observations on the ground in which no wave emissions were observed during the CHARGE‐2B mission. Control parameters that would be more favorable for beam‐generated VLF propagation to the ground are discussed for future experiments of this type.

Twilight rocket measurements of high-latitude atomic oxygen density during the DYANA campaign

During the DYANA ( DYnamics Adapted Network for the Atmosphere) campaign, a rocket containing a resonance fluorescence experiment for measurement of atomic oxygen concentrations was launched at twilight-dawn from ESRANGE, Kiruna, Sweden in March 1990. The measured atomic oxygen concentration rose very sharply near 80 km to about 10 11 atoms cm −3, achieved a peak value of 3 × 10 11 atoms cm −3 between 90 to 105 km, and decreased with increasing rocket altitude to about 155 km where the instrument's noise level was reached. In addition, ground-based, near-infrared radiometric and spectral measurements of the mesospheric and lower thermospheric hydroxyl (OH) airglow emissions were also obtained during the night up to the time of rocket launch. We have used least-squares spectral fitting procedures to obtain the OH Meinel (3-1) band intensities and accurate ( ± 2.5K) rotational temperatures from individual scans. The band intensities show considerable structure throughout the night, dropping sharply by about a factor of 3 during sunrise when the rocket was launched. The rotational temperatures were consistently around 225 K throughout the night and during the rocket flight. During the MAP/WINE campaign in February 1984, similar measurements using identical rocket-borne and ground-based techniques were made at night from ESRANGE. In this paper, the DYANA and MAP/WINE measurements are inter-compared and discussed and further compared with model calculations.

Auroral beam‐plasma interactions: Particle correlator investigations

Plasma wave instabilities may occur above discrete auroral arcs where the natural accelerated auroral electron component meets the cold ionospheric plasma. These wave‐particle interactions were studied on the CAESAR II rocket by measuring the modulations in energetic electron flux in the frequency ranges 0–10 kHz and 0–10 MHz. Near apogee (700 km) a strong modulation of 7.5 keV electrons at 1.4 MHz (≈ fuh) was observed where df(υ)/dυ was positive, just below the auroral beam velocity. The measurement is shown to be consistent with instabilities driven by both Landau and cyclotron resonant interactions with upper hybrid waves, and also with the earlier observation of modulations at 2.65 MHz ( ≈ fuh) seen on a low altitude rocket E2‐B (apogee 230 km).

Electron collection enhancement arising from neutral gas jets on a charged vehicle in the ionosphere

Observations of current collection enhancements due to cold nitrogen gas control jet emissions from a highly charged, isolated rocket payload in the ionosphere have been made during the cooperative high altitude rocket gun experiment (CHARGE) 2 using an electrically tethered mother/daughter payload system. The current collection enhancement was observed on a platform (daughter payload) located 100 to 400 m away from the main payload firing an energetic electron beam (mother payload). We interpret these results in terms of an electrical discharge forming in close proximity to the daughter vehicle during the short periods of gas emission. The results indicate that it is possible to enhance the electron current collection capability of positively charged vehicles by means of deliberate neutral gas releases into an otherwise undisturbed space plasma. Our results are also compared with recent laboratory observations of hollow cathode plasma contactors operating in the “ignited” mode.

A comparison of current‐voltage relationships of collectors in the Earth's ionosphere with and without electron beam emission

The CHARGE‐2 sounding rocket flight was designed primarily to measure the vehicle potential of an electron‐emitting payload in the mid‐latitude ionosphere. The experiment was separated into two sections, the larger section carried a 1 keV electron gun and was referred to as the mother vehicle. The smaller section, referred to as the daughter, was connected to the mother by an insulated, conducting tether, and was deployed to a distance of up to 426 m across the geomagnetic field. In addition to performing electron beam experiments, the mother vehicle contained a high voltage power supply capable of applying up to 450 V and 28 mA to the daughter through the tether. Steady state potentials of up to 560 V were measured for the mother vehicle during beam emissions of up to 36 mA. The daughter collected currents up to 6.5 mA and attained potentials of up to 1000 V relative to the background ionosphere. The CHARGE‐2 experiment was unique in that for the first time a comparison can be made of the current collection between an electron beam‐emitting vehicle and a non‐emitting vehicle at high potentials (400 V to 1000 V). The daughter current collection agreed well with the Parker‐Murphy model, while the mother current collection always exceeded the Parker‐Murphy limit and even exceeded the Langmuir‐Blodgett predicted current below 240 km. The additional current collection of the mother is attributed to beam‐plasma interactions. This additional source of collected current may be very important for successful electron beam emission at altitudes below 240 km.