Operational Experience with Hypersonic Entry of the Space Shuttle

Hale, N. Wayne; Lamotte, Nicole; Garner, Timothy J.

doi:10.2514/6.2002-5259

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…transition when travelling at speeds greater than Mach 10.9) occurred on 20% of flights, and that transition was asymmetric in 60% of those cases. 16 Twelve percent of the shuttle flights suffered from the formation of a turbulent wedge, the origin of which could not always be identified. For lower Mach numbers, the probability of asymmetric transition reduced to only about 10%, and its consequences for the temperatures experienced by the vehicle's surface were significantly reduced.…”

Section: Iiia Physical Characterisation Of Systems Inputsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Robust Multi-disciplinary Modelling of Future Re-usable Aerospace Planes

Wuilbercq¹,

Mogavero²,

Brown³

2015

20th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference

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Practical embodiment of the Single-Stage to Orbit concept has long been held as the key to unlocking a future of rapid, reliable, even scheduled access to space. The full potential of Single-Stage to Orbit will only be realised when this vehicle concept is integrated into an airline-like operational paradigm which has, as its basis, the re-usability of the individual vehicles that comprise the fleet, but in addition, extends to the long-term assuredness of operations through sustained reliability, quick turnaround, and control over recurring costs to the point where the profitability of the enterprise can be assured for its owners and investors. The purpose of this paper is to make some initial steps towards providing some quantitative answers as to how decisions that are made regarding the design of the actual hardware might impact on long-term viability of the technology through influencing the reliability of the system and eventually its cost when incorporated as part of an integrated transportation system. This is achieved through embedding a physics-based simulation of the performance of the vehicle subsystems, under operational conditions, into a Discrete Event Simulation of spaceport operations, allowing the statistical relationship between the various design characteristics of the vehicle, and the metrics that are relevant to its operational cost, to be exposed.

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Section: Iiia Physical Characterisation Of Systems Inputsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Robust Multi-disciplinary Modelling of Future Re-usable Aerospace Planes

Wuilbercq¹,

Mogavero²,

Brown³

2015

20th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference

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“…However, these models can only generate smooth climatic density profiles as a function of altitude and may include significant deviations from the natural atmosphere. Consequently, the difference between the actual drag and the reference design drag, a direct function of the neutral atmospheric density at a given altitude, has varied by up to 19% over a few seconds on several flight experiments (Hale, et al, 2002). Furthermore, 38 Starlink satellites were destroyed by a unexpected geomagnetic storm that led to a density enhancement of over 20% at ~210 km and a larger atmospheric drag on February 4, 2022 (Dang, et al, 2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Observation and simulation of neutral air density in the middle atmosphere during the 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event

Yang,

Wang,

Liu

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Abstract. Sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) are dramatic events in the polar winter stratosphere that are accompanied by atmospheric parameter anomalies in the stratosphere and mesosphere. Microwave Limb Sounder and Global Navigation Satellite System Occultation Sounder observations on board the Chinese FengYun 3 satellites indicate a rapid increase of over 50 % in the mesospheric density at high latitudes around the onset date during the 2021 major SSW event. The amplification of the zonal mean density around the onset is proportional to the latitude increase with a maximum increment of 83.3 % at 59 km above 80° N, which is more than three times larger than the climatological standard deviation (23.1 %). The horizontal density distributions are influenced by the changing polar vortex fields. A simulation using a specified dynamics version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model is consistent overall with the observations and presents a severe change in the planetary wave forcing and residual meridional circulation mass flux followed by a change in the density tendency. These results demonstrate that the observed enhanced density is primarily attributed to the altered planetary waves and residual circulation during the SSW event. The observations and simulations also indicate that the density anomalies could extend to middle latitudes. Obvious density disturbances in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere were observed by lidar deployed in Beijing (40.3° N, 116.2° E).

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“…Several months later, in support of Discovery's Return-To-Flight (RTF), a team of researchers/engineers was assembled to develop one such tool; a predictive capability for a rapid aerothermodynamic assessment to determine the likelihood of high Mach number boundary layer transition (BLT) due to flow disturbances created from TPS damage or repair. Laminar to turbulent flow transition can result in increased heating rates and heating loads on the TPS tiles and in terms of vehicle performance, transition can influence vehicle aerodynamics particularly if it occurs asymmetrically 2 . Earlier than anticipated transition can produce excessive heating resulting in decreased structural subsystem margins and in a worst-case scenario, compromise tile/bond and structural integrity of the Orbiter in areas influenced by turbulent flow.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shuttle Damage/Repair from the Perspective of Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition - Experimental Results

Horvath

Berry

Merski

et al. 2006

9th AIAA/ASME Joint Thermophysics and Heat Transfer Conference

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An overview is provided of the experimental wind tunnel program conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center Aerothermodynamics Laboratory in support of an agency-wide effort to prepare the Shuttle Orbiter for Return-to-Flight. The effect of an isolated protuberance and an isolated rectangular cavity on hypersonic boundary layer transition onset on the windward surface of the Shuttle Orbiter has been experimentally characterized. These experimental studies were initiated to provide a protuberance and cavity effects database for developing hypersonic transition criteria to support on-orbit disposition of thermal protection system damage or repair. In addition, a synergistic experimental investigation was undertaken to assess the impact of an isolated mass-flow entrainment source (simulating pyrolysis/outgassing from a proposed tile repair material) on boundary layer transition. A brief review of the relevant literature regarding hypersonic boundary layer transition induced from cavities and localized mass addition from ablation is presented. Boundary layer transition results were obtained using 0.0075-scale Orbiter models with simulated tile damage (rectangular cavities) of varying length, width, and depth and simulated tile damage or repair (protuberances) of varying height. Cavity and mass addition effects were assessed at a fixed location (x/L = 0.3) along the model centerline in a region of near zero pressure gradient. Cavity length-to-depth ratio was systematically varied from 2.5 to 17.7 and length-to-width ratio of 1 to 8.5. Cavity depth-to-local boundary layer thickness ranged from 0.5 to 4.8. Protuberances were located at several sites along the centerline and port/starboard attachment lines along the chine and wing leading edge. Protuberance height-to-boundary layer thickness was varied from approximately 0.2 to 1.1. Global heat transfer images and heating distributions of the Orbiter windward surface using phosphor thermography were used to infer the state of the boundary layer (laminar, transitional, or turbulent). Test parametrics include angles-of-attack of 30 deg and 40 deg, sideslip angle of 0 deg, freestream Reynolds numbers from 0.02x10 6 to 7.3x10 6 per foot, edge-to-wall temperature ratio from 0.4 to 0.8, and normal shock density ratios of approximately 5.3, 6.0, and 12 in Mach 6 air, Mach 10 air, and Mach 6 CF 4 , respectively. Testing to simulate the effects of ablation from a proposed tile repair concept indicated that transition was not a concern. The experimental protuberance and cavity databases highlighted in this report were used to formulate boundary layer transition correlations that were an integral part of an analytical process to disposition observed Orbiter TPS damage during STS-114.

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Operational Experience with Hypersonic Entry of the Space Shuttle

Cited by 12 publications

References 7 publications

Robust Multi-disciplinary Modelling of Future Re-usable Aerospace Planes

Robust Multi-disciplinary Modelling of Future Re-usable Aerospace Planes

Observation and simulation of neutral air density in the middle atmosphere during the 2021 sudden stratospheric warming event

Shuttle Damage/Repair from the Perspective of Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition - Experimental Results

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