Rocket

About: Rocket is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 14018 publications have been published within this topic receiving 95852 citations. The topic is also known as: rockets.

Low-energy diffuse X-rays

Abstract: Diffuse low energy cosmic X rays rocket measurements, noting excess over extrapolated power law valid for higher energies

Control mechanism for rocket apparatus

Abstract: This invention is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial No. 399,333, filed June 23, 1941. The invention relates to rockets and rocket craft which are propelled by combustion apparatus-using liquid fuel, such as gasoline, and a liquid to support combustion, such as liquid oxygen....

PICTURE: a sounding rocket experiment for direct imaging of an extrasolar planetary environment

Abstract: The Planetary Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Rocket Experiment (PICTURE 36.225 UG) was designed to directly image the exozodiacal dust disk of ǫ Eridani (K2V, 3.22 pc) down to an inner radius of 1.5 AU. PICTURE carried four key enabling technologies on board a NASA sounding rocket at 4:25 MDT on October 8th, 2011: a 0.5 m light-weight primary mirror (4.5 kg), a visible nulling coronagraph (VNC) (600-750 nm), a 32x32 element MEMS deformable mirror and a milliarcsecond-class fine pointing system. Unfortunately, due to a telemetry failure, the PICTURE mission did not achieve scientific success. Nonetheless, this flight validated the flight-worthiness of the lightweight primary and the VNC. The fine pointing system, a key requirement for future planet-imaging missions, demonstrated 5.1 mas RMS in-flight pointing stability. We describe the experiment, its subsystems and flight results. We outline the challenges we faced in developing this complex payload and our technical approaches.

Spacecraft Optimization with Combined Chemical-Electric Propulsion

Abstract: Electrical System An eight-channel receiver is used to control the functions of the flight vehicle. Of the eight channels, four are assigned to the autopilot and primary flight controls. Servomechanisms are used as the actuating mechanisms. During autopilot operation the three primary flight control channels (elevator, rudder, and ailerons) from the receiver are disabled, allowing signals from only the autopilot to activate the servomechanisms. Conversely, when the autopilot is disengaged, the three flight control channels are active. This approach allows only one set of signals to reach the flight controls, either from the autopilot or from the ground controller. The remaining four channels are assigned to engine start, wing lock release, landing-gear release, and flaps. At the instant of engine start, a timer is activated, and the wing lock is released at a predetermined elapsed time. This serves as a backup feature, allowing wing deployment to occur in the event that no signals are received from the ground controller. Trajectory Analysis An analysis of the trajectory was conducted with SORT.2 This program allows three-dimensional trajectory optimization. Only pointmass trajectories were analyzed. Engine burnout occurs 36 s after liftoff, at an altitude of 12,965 ft. The maximum altitude achieved by the vehicle is 18,870 ft. Concluding Remarks This paper indicates that it may be possible to design a simple reusable rocket. The next step will be to build and test such a vehicle. This design could be extended and adapted to larger vehicles in order to attain the higher altitudes that are required in some of the applications of sounding rockets, such as upper-atmosph eric experiments.