Is This Plume A Drag?:The Effects of a Rocket’s Plume on the Drag Force of a Subsonic Launch Vehicle
Authors' Class Standing
Amanda Bjorkland, Senior
Lead Presenter's Name
Amanda Bjorkland
Faculty Mentor Name
Ashley Lear
Abstract
Flight data from one of Masten Space System’s reusable suborbital launch vehicles, Xombie, is analyzed from a 1000 ft. boost and descent. During descent, the vehicle enters its own exhaust plume, which is made up of expanding exhaust gases expelled from a rocket engine. Rocket plumes are difficult to model and are yet to be modeled with knowing the error. Therefore little is known about the effects on a structure when it enters this region of aerodynamic change. Masten builds unique rockets that take off and land vertically, where the rocket enters its plume when flying certain trajectories. An extensive amount of data is saved from flights which can be analyzed using software. It would be helpful to know if the drag force on a rocket decreases upon entering its exhaust plume. This study attempted to model the drag force to find changes. Whether or not the drag force changes in the plume have been inconclusive.
Location
Flight Deck
Start Date
9-4-2014 10:00 AM
Is This Plume A Drag?:The Effects of a Rocket’s Plume on the Drag Force of a Subsonic Launch Vehicle
Flight Deck
Flight data from one of Masten Space System’s reusable suborbital launch vehicles, Xombie, is analyzed from a 1000 ft. boost and descent. During descent, the vehicle enters its own exhaust plume, which is made up of expanding exhaust gases expelled from a rocket engine. Rocket plumes are difficult to model and are yet to be modeled with knowing the error. Therefore little is known about the effects on a structure when it enters this region of aerodynamic change. Masten builds unique rockets that take off and land vertically, where the rocket enters its plume when flying certain trajectories. An extensive amount of data is saved from flights which can be analyzed using software. It would be helpful to know if the drag force on a rocket decreases upon entering its exhaust plume. This study attempted to model the drag force to find changes. Whether or not the drag force changes in the plume have been inconclusive.