Sounding rockets are currently deployed for the purpose of providing experimental data of the upper atmosphere, as well as for microgravity experiments. This work provides a methodology in order to design, model, and evaluate the performance of new sounding rockets. A general configuration composed of a rocket with four canards and four tail wings is sized and optimized, assuming different payload masses and microgravity durations. The aerodynamic forces are modeled with high fidelity using the interpolation of available data. Three different guidance algorithms are used for the trajectory integration: constant attitude, near radial, and sun-pointing. The sun-pointing guidance is used to obtain the best microgravity performance while maintaining a specified attitude with respect to the sun, allowing for experiments which are temperature sensitive. Near radial guidance has instead the main purpose of reaching high altitudes, thus maximizing the microgravity duration. The results prove that the methodology at hand is straightforward to implement and capable of providing satisfactory performance in term of microgravity duration.

Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets / Pallone, Marco; Pontani, Mauro; Teofilatto, Paolo; Minotti, Angelo. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING. - ISSN 1687-5966. - 2018:(2018), pp. 1-16. [10.1155/2018/1678709]

Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets

Pallone, Marco
;
Pontani, Mauro;Teofilatto, Paolo;Minotti, Angelo
2018

Abstract

Sounding rockets are currently deployed for the purpose of providing experimental data of the upper atmosphere, as well as for microgravity experiments. This work provides a methodology in order to design, model, and evaluate the performance of new sounding rockets. A general configuration composed of a rocket with four canards and four tail wings is sized and optimized, assuming different payload masses and microgravity durations. The aerodynamic forces are modeled with high fidelity using the interpolation of available data. Three different guidance algorithms are used for the trajectory integration: constant attitude, near radial, and sun-pointing. The sun-pointing guidance is used to obtain the best microgravity performance while maintaining a specified attitude with respect to the sun, allowing for experiments which are temperature sensitive. Near radial guidance has instead the main purpose of reaching high altitudes, thus maximizing the microgravity duration. The results prove that the methodology at hand is straightforward to implement and capable of providing satisfactory performance in term of microgravity duration.
2018
sounding rocket; guidance; aerospace vehicles
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets / Pallone, Marco; Pontani, Mauro; Teofilatto, Paolo; Minotti, Angelo. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING. - ISSN 1687-5966. - 2018:(2018), pp. 1-16. [10.1155/2018/1678709]
File allegati a questo prodotto
File Dimensione Formato  
Pallone_design-methodology_2018.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Versione editoriale (versione pubblicata con il layout dell'editore)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 5.07 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
5.07 MB Adobe PDF

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1111541
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 2
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 2
social impact