NASA Sounding Rocket Capabilities

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NASASounding Rocket Capabilities

• June 19, 2008

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Services Provided

• Launch Vehicles
• Payload Development
• Attitude Control Systems
• Magnetic
• Inertial (coarse pointing and velocity vector
  tracking)
• Celestial
• Telemetry Systems
• Multiple links
• 10 Mb/s data rates
• Command uplink
• Video down link
• Recovery Systems
• Boost Guidance Systems
• Aerodynamic control for early portion of powered
  flight
• Deployment Systems
• Mission Analysis
• Operations Support
• Mobile range development

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Payloads

• Electric and magnetic field measurements
• Particle detection
• Scramjet testing
• Reentry body testing
• Astronomical and solar telescopes
• Multiple free-flying payload bodies
• Microgravity
• Air sampling

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Launch Sites
Map provided by www.theodora.com w/ permission
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From cold to hot, then from hot to cold, and
everything in between
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Vehicles and Performance Capabilities
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Liftoff and Flight Sequence
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Launch Vehicles
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Terrier-Orion
Terrier-Brant
BBXI
BBXII
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Other Vehicles Currently Not in the Core Inventory
Custom vehicle stacks can be investigated
Terrier Oriole
Terrier-Lynx
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Talos-Oriole

• Payload Weights 500 to 1500 lbs.
• Payload Diameters 22 to 30 in.
• Apogee 350 to 500 km
• Time above 100 km 450 to 500 sec
• Descent Mach Number 8 to 10

Design Approx 90 complete. 30 payload hardware
built.
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97 vehicle success rate
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Telemetry Systems
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Telemetry Capabilities

• Multiple S-band links possible
• 10 mb/s data rates
• Digital and Analog data channels
• Many Options Available
• On-board GPS
• Command Uplink
• Video downlink
• GLN-MAC gyro

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Attitude Control Systems
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NSROC Magnetic ACS (NMACS)

• Primary sensor is the Bartington MAG-03MS 3-axis
  magnetometer
• Orientation accuracy of 5 degrees or less
• Can Accommodate spin rates between 0.5 and 4.0 hz
• Can accommodate 1 or 2 gas tanks (200 400 cu
  in)
• 14 and 17.26 dia systems have been flown
• Flight History
• 3 Developmental
• 14 Operational

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Magnetic ACS Air Bearing Test
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Magnetic ACS Developmental Flight
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NSROC Inertial ACS (NIACS)

• Based on the GLNMAC Inertial Platform
• Simultaneous multi-axis maneuvering
• Maximizes science observation time
• Can accommodate 1 to 4 gas tanks (200 800 cu
  in)
• Real-time GUI display using telemetry data
• Flight History
• 4 Developmental
• 3 Operational
• Velocity Vector Tracking Option
• Orient payloads spin axis parallel to the
  Velocity Vector
• Utilizes the GPS in the telemetry system
• Flight computer calculates real time velocity
  vector
• Provides less than 1 degree tracking

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NSROC Celestial ACS

• System
• ST-5000 Star tracker
• Coarse fiberoptic gyro
• Fine resolution fiberoptic gyro
• Cold gas pneumatics system
• Linear Thrust Module
• Pointing to within 0.2 arcsec 1-sigma on each
  axis
• Fine pointing achieved using a linear thrust
  module (-160 to 160 arcsec/sec2 acceleration)
• Flight History
• 2 Developmental
• 2 Operational
• Sub arc-sec pointing on both flights

Celestial ACS
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Special Sensors
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NSROC(a)

• Miniaturized Attitude Determination Sensor
• Based on Army Research Lab design
• Attitude determined via post flight data
  reduction
• 1-Sigma Sensor Accuracy
• Magnetometer 2 deg
• Sun Vector Sensor.1 deg
• Rate Sensor0.1 deg/sec
• Orientation computed to 3 deg accuracy

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Gimbaled LN-200 w/ Miniature Airborne Computer
(GLNMAC)

• Relatively low cost
• Based on Sandia design
• Uses a FiberOptic gyro
• Specifications
• Roll stabilized
• 6 hz spin rate (potentially higher)
• Acceleration up to 40 gs
• Bias Repeatability.. 1 deg/hr
• Bandwidth 100 hz
• Multiple piggy-back flight tests conducted to
  built flight heritage prior to being used in a
  control mode
• Manufactured at Wallops
• 40 flight units have been built to date

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ST5000 Star Tracker

• Developed by University of Wisconsin under NASA
  contract
• Lost in Space capability
• Specs
• Field of View.. 5.4 x 7.4 deg
• Sensitivity... -1 to 8 magnitude
• TM Downlink.. 19.2 Kbaud RS232
• Star Tracking. up to 32 stars
• Spin Rates. up to 0.5 deg/sec
• Future plans call for miniaturization of both the
  camera head and electronics

Camera Head
Electronics Box
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Recovery
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Recovery Options

• Standard 14 and 17.26 dia. systems available
• Custom systems can be developed to meet unique
  needs
• Land, water and mid-air recovery possible

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Unique Support
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Custom Systems and Components
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Mission Applications
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Depressed Trajectories

• Launch elevations between 45 and 75 degrees

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ACS Realignment Thrust Vector Realigned
Ballistic Trajectory Tailored Trajectory
Post-Boost Coast Velocity and Thrust Vector
Co-Aligned
Gravity
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Lessard simulation depicting deployment of rocket
propelled subpayloads
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Mission planning lab video using actual flight
data
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Facilities
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Mechanical Fabrication Facility
Electrical Fabrication Facility
Integration and Test Labs
Multiple Air Bearing Labs
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3-axis Vibration
Thermal Vacuum
Physical Properties
Load Testing
Static and Spin Deployment
Spin Balance
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Outreach Training

• Colorado Space Grant Rocket Flight Workshop
• NASA Space Grant Office providing funding to
  defray vehicle cost
• Wallops launch of Orion vehicle
• June launch
• USERS (University Student Experiment Ride Share)
• Concept
• Four universities per flight
• Wallops launch of Terrier-Orion vehicle
• Competitively selected university to serve as
  experiment integrator
• Competitively selected experiments
• Pilot project under development
• Two schools identified
• November launch

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Educational (and Fun)
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Contact Information
Philip Eberspeaker Chief, Sounding Rockets
Program Office 757-824-2202 philip.j.eberspeaker_at_n
asa.gov
Tripp Ransone Asst. Chief, Sounding Rockets
Program Office 757-824-1089 emmitt.d.ransone_at_nasa.
gov