Rocket Launch Site Research Articles

Emergency management and the final frontier: Preparing local communities for falling space debris

AbstractGlobal dependence on satellite technologies, along with expanding space exploration, and commercial space travel have made rocket launches routine modern‐day events. As a result, there is an increasing probability of civilian casualty from rocket launch anomalies, or from falling space debris already in orbit. This study provides an empirical analysis of local emergency management publicly available guidelines for the risks associated with human‐made space hazards, natural space hazards, and unknown space hazards. A multicase approach is utilized with a document analysis of 391 emergency management documents provided by 512 local jurisdictions across the states of California, Florida, Texas, and Virginia. Descriptive statistics and a QGIS vector spatial analysis is conducted to identify high risk counties in close proximity to rocket launch sites. A logit regression model informs us on the relationship between a county containing a rocket launch site or being in close proximity to a launch site and their likelihood of including falling space hazards in their emergency management documents. A significant number of documents mention falling aircrafts, missiles from tornadoes and weapons of mass destruction. Rocket launch anomalies and falling space debris remain outside the scope or imaginability of local emergency management plans.

Rocket launching site selection in Ethiopia using Weight Decision Matrix analysis

The term rocket launch site is used in any facility from which rockets are launched and contains one or more launch pads. Development in Space Science and Technology is a critical issue for any country it is a guarantee for security and sustainable development. Research is taking place on sounding rockets, micro, nano and can-type satellite technologies that require huge foreign currencies to launch overseas. The purpose of this research paper is to determine specific rocket launching sites in Ethiopia. The weighted decision matrix is used as a tool to analyze valued criteria and to rank the alternatives. In the first phase, the whole regions are analyzed and three regions are selected, which are located at 6 o Latitude North and 41 o Longitude East. Similarly, in the second phase, the weighted decision matrix tool is applied to three selected regions at Woreda (Districts) and Kebele (Cluster) level. The selected sites are from Somali Warder Zone, identified as Boh 1 and 2 with a value of 231. In Oromia identified as Borena-1 with a value of 195 and the rest with lower value are rejected. A site map is prepared for the best sites selected. A spaceport is an important source of income for launching companies. There are opportunities of leasing to international launching operators for launching rockets and research rockets. It can also benefit African countries for rocket research related issues since no country in east Africa has their own functional launch site. Keywords : Economy, launching site, map of Ethiopia, rocket, selection criteria, WDM

Ground and flight tests of AlSat-1B butane propulsion system

On September 26, 2016 Algerian Space Agency launched AlSat-1B, the second in a series of medium resolution earth observation satellites mission. AlSat-1B electro-thermal propulsion system follows the classic design principle that has been used on previous SSTL-100 missions. With a total dry weight of 5.17 kg, the system is filled with 2.35 L self-pressurized butane. The thruster assembly is designed to use 15 W (at 28 V) redundant heater elements, it is designed to have an average mission thrust of 50 mN. With a warm up time of 10 min, the temperature of the butane will be increased by over 250 °C. This is the equivalent of about 35% gain in specific impulse over ambient temperature butane. The spacecraft dry weigh at launch site was 107 kg, the propulsion system is designed to provide at least 19 m/s Delta-v to meet the spacecraft's mission requirement. To investigate the system readiness for flight, a series of performance tests have been completed at the Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd laboratories (United Kingdom), Satellite Development Centre (Algeria) and Satish Dhawan Space Centre rocket launch site (India), the results of these tests as well as initial flight test results are presented in this paper.

Measurements of Magnetic Pulse Bursts During Initial Continuous Current of Negative Rocket‐Triggered Lightning

AbstractDuring the SHandong Triggering Lightning Experiment (SHATLE) in summer of 2014 and 2015 and the Guangdong Comprehensive Observation Experiment on Lightning Discharge (GCOELD) campaign in 2018, we have conducted the observations of the magnetic pulse bursts (MPBs) during the initial continuous current in negative rocket‐triggered lightning. The MPBs are commonly recorded at the main site of SHATLE (970 m from the rocket launch site), but the synchronous magnetic field (B‐field) measurements at the close site of SHATLE (78 m from the rocket launch site) show the slow variations with small MPBs superposing on them. Note that both the charge transfer and the relative brightness increase notably during the appearance of the MPBs. After shifting up the operation frequency of the magnetic sensor, the MPBs can be observed at close distance (80 m from the rocket launch site) obviously in GCOELD. Observations show that the radiation sources of MPBs originate from the breakdown in the vicinity of the leader tip, but the sources of the initial magnetic pulses (IMPs) measured at the very initial stage of triggered lightning are from the radiation of the whole steel wire. The continuous current measured at the channel base during the MPBs cannot reflect the characteristics of breakdown current, because the current is attenuated and dispersed when propagating along the high‐impedance leader channel. The average peak current associated with the MPBs is estimated to be on the order of kiloamperes.

Problems of Land Reclamation and Heat Protection of Biological Objects against Contamination by the Aviation and Rocket Launch Site

Hydrazine and its derivatives belong to the class of highly toxic compounds that cause the acute and chronic forms of intoxication with a predominant lesion of liver, blood system, as well as other human organs. At the same time, these products are absorbed by the ashen-gray and gray forest soils under the cation-exchange mechanism; however, the hydrazine fuels and their derivatives in moderate doses are not toxic to microorganisms and plants, and they can use the carbon and nitrogen contained in them as the sources of nutrition; herewith, high content of the products of transformation of aerospace fuel in the ashen-gray and gray forest soils is toxic to plants. To improve the biological properties of gray forest loamy soil contaminated with aerospace fuel, the sodium selenate is usually used in moderate doses that improve its enzymatic and nitrification activity, but it will not completely remove all the negative effects of pollution. As a result of exposure to hydrazine, it is necessary to develop an effective protection of biological objects and soil against the toxic effects of its highly toxic compounds.

Quantitative evaluation of the acoustic waves generated by a supersonic impinging jet

Strong acoustic waves are generated when rocket launch. The accurate prediction of these acoustic waves are important for the design of the rocket launch site because the acoustic waves possibly damage the payload. However, it is difficult for numerical simulation to predict accurately because the numerical simulation overestimatesthe strength of acoustic wave by several decibels compared to that observed in the experiment. The objective the present study is to obtain the knowledge for quantitative evaluation of the acoustic waves generated from supersonic impinging jet. According to the free jet studies, the reason for difference between numerical simulations and experiments in acoustic field is considered to be turbulence intensity in nozzle exit. Thus, the flow inside the nozzle is calculated, together with the turbulent disturbance is added to the boundary layer. In the numerical simulation, three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved with the high resolution shock capturing scheme (WCNS). The effects of the acoustic field on nozzle internal inflow condition of supersonic impinging jet are maninly discussed.

The Wall of Terror and Deception

Contrary to Nazi propaganda and despite some brilliant engineering, Hitler's 60001 km 'Atlantic Wall' of coastal fortifications proved fairly ineffective from a strategic point of view Seventy years after VE day we visit some of the Wall's remaining sites in France. The words 'Atlantic Wall' were largely metaphorical - a propaganda-style soundbite to describe 15,600 concrete bunkers, gun batteries, turrets, tunnels, towers and emplacements, built along the coastline. With time, several V1 and V2 rocket factories, depots and launch sites were to be added to the Wall, mostly in Northern France, for use against Hitler's sworn enemy, Britain.

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Plume Pressure and Heat Rate Measurements

The solid rocket booster main flame deflector at NASA Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A was instrumented to measure heat rates, pressures, and temperatures on the final three space shuttle launches. Because the solid rocket booster plume is hot and erosive, a robust tungsten piston calorimeter was developed to compliment measurements made by off-the-shelf sensors. Witness materials were installed, and their melting and erosion response to the Mach 2, 4000°F, 4 s duration plume was observed. The data show that the specification used for the design of the main flame deflector thermal protection system overpredicts heat rates by a factor of three and underpredicts pressures by a factor of two. The discovery of short-duration heating spikes that occur when aluminum oxide slag solidifies on the main flame deflector explains this heat rate overprediction. This study allows improvement of solid rocket motor launch site and test stand computational fluid dynamics models and the concomitant slag deposition heat transfer models.

0634 進化計算とLESを用いたロケット射点形状の空力音響多目的設計探査(OS6-7 噴流,後流およびはく離流れ現象の探求と先端的応用,OS6 噴流,後流およびはく離流れ現象の探求と先端的応用)

In this study, multiobjective design exploration for a rocket launch site is conducted using evolutionary computation with large eddy simulation to understand the acoustic characteristics associated with various launch sites. The launch site is described by curved surface. The flat plate inclined with 45 degree is considered as the reference configuration. The objective functions of multiobjective aero-acoustic design optimization are, 1) minimization of averaged sound pressure level near the payload fairing, 2) minimization of maximum pressure on the curved surface of the rocket launch site, and 3) minimization of the change of the curved surface from the reference configuration. Three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved with the modified weighted compact nonlinear scheme. The total number of evaluation is 2500, and the evaluation of one generation necessitates the use of 6500 nodes using "K" supercomputer. As the results of the flow field analysis of some characteristic non-dominated solutions show the characteristics of acoustic wave and the location of the maximum gradient of the curved surface.

1909 ロケット射点形状に関する空力音響多目的設計問題の非劣解データベースの分析

1909 ロケット射点形状に関する空力音響多目的設計問題の非劣解データベースの分析

Observations of the first meteorological rocket of the Meridian Space Weather Monitoring Project

On June 3, 2010, the first meteorological rocket of the Meridian Space Weather Monitoring Project was successfully launched at the Hainan rocket launch site (19.5°N), China. This paper analyzes the vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and wind recorded by the rocket and its supportive balloons, and investigates wind shear, gravity waves and atmospheric stability. In addition, we compare the vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and wind with SABER/TIMED temperature measurements and the modeling results of MSIS00 and HWM07.

Danger from above? A quantitative study of perceptions of hazards from falling rockets in the Altai region of Siberia

Russian rocket launch sites are inland, unlike their European and American equivalents. Those living near to fallout zones from the Baikonur cosmodrome have expressed concern about apparent high levels of psychological ill health, which they attribute to the launches, linking it to either fear of falling debris or contamination by fuel residues. The aim of the research study on which this article is based was to quantify and explain the reported ill health, relating it to exposure to, concern about, and information on the launches. Drawing on literature on social amplification of risk, a quantitative survey was conducted among 1111 adults living in three areas around the fallout area. Psychological symptoms were measured on the SCL-90 scale, with mental health assessed using the GHQ-20. Relationships were assessed using regression and path analysis. The main findings were that those people living closer to the fallout area were no more likely to have symptoms but were more concerned about launches. Prompted concern was associated with distress, assessed by SCL-90 scores (but not consistently with GHQ-20) and seemed to amplify the association between other adverse perceptions of life and symptoms. There is a high level of distress in this region but it is not obviously associated with exposure to launches. In contrast, the existing process of communicating information appears to increase concerns and thus distress.

La Terre et l’Espace: Rockets, Prisons, Protests and Heritage in Australia and French Guiana

Space technology is often represented as global, modern and placeless. But one of the earliest forms of space site, the rocket range, tends to be located in places of a very specific kind: remote and seemingly empty colonies. Because of their distance from the metropole, these places also lend themselves to hosting prisons, detention camps, military installations, nuclear weapons, and nuclear waste. All of these establishments, including rocket ranges, have inspired reactions of protest. These themes are explored at the rocket launch sites of Woomera (Australia) and Kourou (French Guiana). In 2005, Creole groups in French Guiana were demonstrating against the construction of a new launch pad near Kourou that disturbed archaeological material. My arrival, to deliver a talk proposing that protests in Woomera sixty years earlier were an essential part of the heritage of the space age, revealed the entanglement of imprisonment and protest with space exploration.

The Impact of Hobby Rocket Motors on Atmospheric Fine Particle Zinc Concentrations

Zinc concentrations in hobby rocket exhaust aerosols were measured by ICP-MS to be approximately 300 mg/g, revealing that hobby rocket motors emit particulate matter highly enriched in zinc. Zinc is a commonly used indicator species in receptor models for atmospheric particulate matter and is assumed to be emitted only by well-established point sources and mobile sources. The potential impact of the ephemeral particle-bound zinc from hobby rockets on atmospheric particulate zinc concentrations was estimated using a Gaussian puff model. The results from the model were compared to 24-hour averaged particulate zinc concentration data collected in three US urban centers. Potential impacts several kilometers downwind of the rocket launch site were found to be significant. Clearly the impact of ephemeral and unregistered emissions such as those from hobby rockets needs to be considered when using zinc in source apportionment models.

<i>Letter to the Editor:</i> A strange cloud in the Arctic summer stratosphere 1998 above Esrange (68°N), Sweden

Abstract. When the University of Bonn lidar on the Esrange (68°N, 21°E), Sweden, was switched on in the evening of July 18, 1998, a geometrically and optically thin cloud layer was present near 14 km altitude or 400 K potential temperature, where it persisted for two hours. The tropopause altitude was 4 km below the cloud altitude. The cloud particles depolarized the lidar returns, thus must they have been aspherical and hence solid. Atmospheric temperatures near 230 K were approximately 40 K too high to support ice particles at stratospheric water vapour pressures of a few ppmv. The isentropic back trajectory on 400 K showed the air parcels to have stayed clear of active major rocket launch sites. The air parcels at 400 K had traveled from the Aleutians across Canada and the Atlantic Ocean arriving above central Europe and then turned northward to pass over above the lidar station. Parcels at levels at ±25 K from 400 K had come from the pole and joined the 400 K trajectory path above eastern Canada. Apparently the cloud existed in a filament of air with an origin different from those filaments both above and below. Possibly the 400 K level air parcels had carried soot particles from forest wild fires in northern Canada or volcanic ash from the eruption of the Korovin Volcano in the Aleutian Islands.Key words: Atmospheric composition and structure (aerosols and particles; biosphere-atmosphere interactions) · Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (middle atmospheric dynamics)

A strange cloud in the Arctic summer stratosphere 1998 above Esrange (68°N), Sweden

When the University of Bonn lidar on the Esrange (68∞N, 21∞E), Sweden, was switched on in the evening of July 18, 1998, a geometrically and optically thin cloud layer was present near 14 km altitude or 400 K potential temperature, where it persisted for two hours. The tropopause altitude was 4 km below the cloud altitude. The cloud particles depolarized the lidar returns, thus must they have been aspherical and hence solid. Atmospheric temperatures near 230 K were approximately 40 K too high to support ice particles at stratospheric water vapour pressures of a few ppmv. The isentropic back trajectory on 400 K showed the air parcels to have stayed clear of active major rocket launch sites. The air parcels at 400 K had travelled from the Aleutians across Canada and the Atlantic Ocean arriving above central Europe and then turned north- ward to pass over above the lidar station. Parcels at levels at25 K from 400 K had come from the pole and joined the 400 K trajectory path above eastern Canada. Apparently the cloud existed in a filament of air with an origin diAerent from those filaments both above and below. Possibly the 400 K level air parcels had carried soot particles from forest wild fires in northern Canada or volcanic ash from the eruption of the Korovin Volcano in the Aleutian Islands.

Ground-based atmospheric infrared and visible emission measurements

Ground-based measurements of night-sky near-infrared and visible emissions were made at the Andenes, Norway, and Kiruna, Sweden, rocket launch sites during the Energy Budget Campaign of 1980. Optical measurements were made using visible and infrared photometers, a Michelson interferometer and a grating spectrometer. The spectral range of the spectrometers was λ 0.85 through 1.7 μm. Photometer wavelength coverages were at λ 1.7 μm, 1.27 μm, 6300 Å, 5577 Å, 5525 Å and 3914 Å. The measurement period was from 3 November through 15 November 1980, at the station on Andøya Island, and from 4 November through 4 December 1980, at the Kiruna location. The sites were separated by 255 km. Emission intensities of OH, O 2, N 2 + and O airglow and auroral species during the campaign period are presented. Correlations were observed between the O 2( a 1 Δ g ) emission at λ. 1.27 μm and the OH(8,5) emission at λ. 1.3 μm. giving further evidence that the two species of the night airglow have an emission mechanism in common. Values of the rotational temperatures of the OH airglow were derived which are indicative of the temporal history of the near-mesopause atmospheric temperature. Comparisons were made of airglow intensities and temperatures with indices of auroral zone geomagnetic activity and with key atmospheric measurements made by other investigators who participated in the campaign. Correlations were found with high significance levels The trends in the observed mesopause temperature appear to be part of a general disturbance of the atmosphere due to planetary waves.

Radiation Levels Governing Nuclear Roce Ground Instrumentation

A rocket vehicle with a nuclear propulsion system assumes the environment of the reactor: specifically, the high intensity neutron and gamma radiation fields. The rocket system considered here is a booster-type vehicle of approximately 1.25 million pounds. Reactor power requirements for the specified mission and the necessity of minimum shielding result in a neutron flux in excess of 6 × 1013 n/cm2-sec ten meters from the reactor core, and a gamma flux of approximately 1015 ?/cm2-sec at the same distance. The environment at the launch site is affected by intense gamma radiation from the reactor during reactor run-up, hold-down for systems check, and also for a short time after lift-off. In addition, there will be fission product release resulting in ground contamination, and gamma radiation in the air both vicinal to and remote from the launch site. Assuming that the reactor and booster vehicle are to be recovered, activation radiation induced in the structure, and fission product release from the shutdown reactor must be evaluated. The requirements for instrumentation around a nuclear rocket launch site are, indeed, many and diverse. The demands upon a monitoring and measurement system are constant at all times, and during nuclear operations are severe. Although the magnitudes of nuclear radiations shown here are prodigious, the problems presented by them are not insurmountable. This paper analyzes the various radiation environments, and outlines on-site and off-site radiation instrumentation requirements.