Rocket Test Facility Research Articles

‘There Are Many Other Things More Important to Us Than Space Research’: The Australian Government and the Dawn of the Space Age, 1956–62

This article examines how the Australian government began to formulate its approach to space research, exploring the way it approached the establishment of American tracking stations from 1956, proposals for a civilian space research program in 1959, involvement with British space research and, from 1960, the negotiations for the European Launcher Development Organisation use of rocket testing facilities at Woomera. It argues that financial and strategic considerations were foremost in the minds of the Menzies government in shaping its approach to space policy, in particular in the context of rocket testing at Woomera. Ultimately, while the decisions taken between 1956 and 1962 laid the foundations for significant and often celebrated Australian involvement in space during the 1960s, the way in which these decisions were made reflected a reluctance to be involved at all.

Investigation of Plasma Detachment From a Magnetic Nozzle in the Plume of the VX-200 Magnetoplasma Thruster

Understanding the physics involved in plasma detachment from magnetic nozzles is well theorized, but lacking in large scale experimental support. We have undertaken an experiment using the 150-m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket test facility and VX-200 thruster seeking evidence that detachment occurs and an understanding of the physical processes involved. It was found that the plasma jet in this experiment does indeed detach from the applied magnetic nozzle (peak field sim~2 T) in a two part process. The first part involves the ions beginning to deviate from the nozzle field 0.8-m downstream of the nozzle throat. This separation location is consistent with a loss of adiabaticity where the ratio of the ion Larmor radius to the magnetic field scale length (r_Li|∇ B|B ) becomes of order unity and conservation of the magnetic moment breaks down. Downstream of this separation region, the dynamics of the unmagnetized ions and magnetized electrons, along with the ion momentum, affect the plume trajectory. The second part of the process involves the formation of plasma turbulence in the form of high-frequency electric fields. The ion and electron responses to these electric fields depend upon ion momentum, magnetic field line curvature, magnetic field strength, angle between the particle trajectories, and the effective momentum transfer time. In stronger magnetic field regions of the nozzle, the detached ion trajectories are affected such that the unmagnetized ions begin to flare radially outward. Further downstream as the magnetic field weakens, for higher ion momentum and along the edge of the plume, the fluctuating electric field enables anomalous cross-field electron transport to become more dominant. This cross-field transport occurs until the electric fields dissipate 2-m downstream of the nozzle throat and the ion trajectories become ballistic. This transition to ballistic flow correlates well with the sub-to-super Alfvénic flow transition (β <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">k</sub> ). There was no significant change observed to the applied magnetic field.

Microphone Phased Array to Identify Liftoff Noise Sources in Model-Scale Tests

A 70-microphone phased array, protected to withstand the harsh environment of a rocket test facility, was used to identify noise sources in the Ares I Scale Model Acoustics Test. In the unobstructed burn of a single solid rocket motor, the free-flowing plume itself was found to make a long noise source. The scenario changed completely in launch configurations where a 5%-scale model of the Ares I vehicle was tested in static firings. It was found that the impingement by the plume on various regions of the launch pad constituted the primary noise sources. The scenario is very different from current models, which assume that the plume itself is the noise source and do not account for impingement sources. As expected, the addition of water in the trench and the hole for the plume passage attenuated the associated noise sources. Water injection on the top of the pad (“rainbird”) was found to attenuate only the peripheral sources around the primary plume impingement zone. The noise maps suggest that the minimization of impingement by reducing vehicle drift, reducing plume spillage via increasing the size of the hole, and covering-up leakage paths for the sound waves from the trench will attenuate the liftoff acoustics level.

Design and Testing of Lab-scale Red Fuming Nitric Acid/Hydroxyl-terminated Polybutadiene Hybrid Rocket Motor for Studying Regression Rate

This paper presents the design of a hybrid rocket motor and the experiments carried out for investigation of hybrid combustion and regression rates for a combination of liquid oxidiser red fuming nitric acid with solid fuel hydroxyl-terminated Polybutadiene. The regression rate is enhanced with the addition of small quantity of solid oxidiser ammonium perchlorate in the fuel. The characteristics of the combustion products were calculated using the NASA CEA Code and were used in a ballistic code developed for predicting the performance of the hybrid rocket motor. A lab-scale motor was designed and the oxidiser mass flow requirements of the hybrid motor for the above combination of fuel and oxidiser have been calculated using the developed ballistic code. A static rocket motor testing facility has been realised for conducting the hybrid experiments. A series of tests were conducted and proper ignition with stable combustion in the hybrid mode has been established. The regression rate correlations were obtained as a function of the oxidiser mass flux and chamber pressure from the experiments for the various combinations. Defence Science Journal, 2011, 61(6), pp.515-522 , DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.61.873

An Architecture for Intelligent Systems Based on Smart Sensors

Based on requirements for a next-generation rocket test facility, elements of a prototype intelligent rocket test facility (IRTF) have been implemented. The preliminary results provide the basis for future advanced development and validation using rocket test stand facilities at Stennis Space Center (SSC). Key components include distributed smart sensor elements integrated using a knowledge-driven environment. One of the specific goals is to imbue sensors with the intelligence needed to perform self-diagnosis of health and to participate in a hierarchy of health determination at sensor, process, and system levels. We have identified issues important to further development of health-enabled networks, which should be of interest to others working with smart sensors and intelligent health management systems.

Cryogenic engineering in nuclear rocketry

Reasons for the importance of cryogenics in nuclear rocketry are reviewed. Nuclear rocket test facilities and associated cryogenic equipment are described. Typical cryogenic problems are discussed.