Shuttle solid rocket motor nozzle alternate ablative evaluationA series of subscale tests are shown to suggest that a lower-cost ablative material than the rayon-based carbon ablative currently used in the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) may be used as a substitute. Six such ablatives with outstanding performance characteristics, using spun PAN and continuous pitch and PAN fibers instead of the present, continuous rayon, were identified in the course of tests with HTPB/AL/AP solid propellant grains with a burn time of 12 sec. The test nozzle features an initial throat diameter of 2.2 in. and a 6.1 expansion ratio. In addition to nozzle structural feature drawings, extensive test data tables and propellant formulation and properties tables are provided.
Document ID
19810057797
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Powers, L. B. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Bailey, R. L. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Morrison, B. H. (California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA, United States)