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Rocket Sled Propelled Testing of a Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic DeceleratorDecelerators (IADs) have traditionally been tested in wind tunnels. As the limitations of these test facilities are reached, other avenues must be pursued. The IAD being tested is a Supersonic IAD (SIAD), which attaches just aft of the heatshield around the perimeter of an entry body. This 'attached torus' SIAD is meant to improve the accuracy of landing for robotic class missions to Mars and allow for potentially increased payloads. The SIAD Design Verification (SDV) test aims to qualify the SIAD by applying a targeted aerodynamic load to the vehicle. While many test architectures were researched, a rocket sled track was ultimately chosen to be the most cost effective way to achieve the desired dynamic pressures. The Supersonic Naval Ordnance Research Track (SNORT) at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) China Lake is a four mile test track, traditionally used for warhead and ejection seat testing. Prior to SDV, inflatable drag bodies have been tested on this particular track. Teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and NAWCWD collaborate together to design and fabricate one of the largest sleds ever built. The SDV sled is comprised of three individual sleds: a Pusher Sled which holds the solid booster rockets, an Item Sled which supports the test vehicle, and a Camera Sled that is pushed in front for in-situ footage and measurements. The JPL-designed Test Vehicle has a full-scale heatshield shape and contains all instrumentation and inflation systems necessary to inflate and test a SIAD. The first campaign that is run at SNORT tested all hardware and instrumentation before the SIAD was ready to be tested. For each of the three tests in this campaign, the number of rockets and top speed was increased and the data analyzed to ensure the hardware is safe at the necessary accelerations and aerodynamic loads.
Document ID
20150007474
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Meacham, Michael B.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kennett, Andrew
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Wrightwood, CA, United States)
Townsend, Derik J.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Marti, Benjamin
(Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
May 6, 2015
Publication Date
March 25, 2013
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Meeting Information
Meeting: AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Country: United States
Start Date: March 25, 2013
End Date: March 28, 2013
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (SIADs)
ringsail parachute

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