Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets

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...

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Main Authors: Marco Pallone, Mauro Pontani, Paolo Teofilatto, Angelo Minotti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:International Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/1678709
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author Marco Pallone
Mauro Pontani
Paolo Teofilatto
Angelo Minotti
author_facet Marco Pallone
Mauro Pontani
Paolo Teofilatto
Angelo Minotti
author_sort Marco Pallone
collection DOAJ
description 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.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1687-5966
1687-5974
language English
publishDate 2018-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series International Journal of Aerospace Engineering
spelling doaj-art-572ada4ed04e44b6bf57798bd38281852025-08-20T03:33:34ZengWileyInternational Journal of Aerospace Engineering1687-59661687-59742018-01-01201810.1155/2018/16787091678709Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding RocketsMarco Pallone0Mauro Pontani1Paolo Teofilatto2Angelo Minotti3University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via Salaria 851/831, 00138 Rome, ItalyUniversity of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via Salaria 851/831, 00138 Rome, ItalyUniversity of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via Salaria 851/831, 00138 Rome, ItalyUniversity of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via Salaria 851/831, 00138 Rome, ItalySounding 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.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/1678709
spellingShingle Marco Pallone
Mauro Pontani
Paolo Teofilatto
Angelo Minotti
Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets
International Journal of Aerospace Engineering
title Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets
title_full Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets
title_fullStr Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets
title_full_unstemmed Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets
title_short Design Methodology and Performance Evaluation of New Generation Sounding Rockets
title_sort design methodology and performance evaluation of new generation sounding rockets
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/1678709
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AT mauropontani designmethodologyandperformanceevaluationofnewgenerationsoundingrockets
AT paoloteofilatto designmethodologyandperformanceevaluationofnewgenerationsoundingrockets
AT angelominotti designmethodologyandperformanceevaluationofnewgenerationsoundingrockets