posted on Apr, 19 2004 @ 03:20 PM
Time ago I heared about aerospike engines and that the had a working prototype which should be used in a new space shuttle x33 or x30 ? but I did see
test fligth video of it.
[img]http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/Aerospike_Rocket/Small/EC04-0113-146.jpg[/url]
now this afternoon I received this mail from dryden...
NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone (661) 276-3449
FAX (661) 276-3566
April 19, 2004
Gray Creech; (661) 276-2662
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
John Haire; (661) 277-3510
U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center
Edwards AFB, Calif.
RELEASE: 04-23
FIRST AEROSPIKE ENGINE FLIGHT TEST SUCCESSFUL
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC), and Blacksky Corporation joined forces on the prairie lands of
West Texas recently to fly small aerospike rocket nozzles.
The effort, called the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test, yielded big returns, providing the first known data from a solid-fueled aerospike rocket in
flight.
Two 10-ft. long solid-fueled rockets with aerospike nozzles were flown successfully on two consecutive flights March 30 and 31, 2004. Under perfect
skies and calm winds, the rockets ascended from the King Ranch launch site at the Pecos County Aerospace Development Corporation Flight Test Range in
Fort Stockton, Texas.
"The success of the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test project opens up a whole new way of obtaining flight research data for not only the aerospike
nozzles but for other rocket technologies as well, such as dual-bell nozzles," said NASA Dryden's Trong Bui, the project's principal investigator.
"This inexpensive, high-speed flight research platform allows us to take new ideas to flight quickly and at the same time, increases the technology
readiness level of new aerospace concepts," Bui said.
Aerospike nozzles can be thought of as inside-out rocket nozzles. Rather than the rocket engine's exhaust plume exiting out the traditional
bell-shaped nozzle, the plume travels externally. The main advantage of aerospike nozzles is that, as the rocket climbs, atmospheric and airstream
pressure act on the plume to keep it at an optimum setting along the entire trajectory. This allows very efficient engine performance in flight. With
traditional rocket engines, the bell nozzle is most efficient at only one point in the rocket's trajectory.
Although the advantages of the aerospike nozzles are well understood through analysis and ground test data, the lack of actual flight test data has
precluded use of these nozzles in current as well as next generation space launch vehicles. In addition, the configuration of an aerospike nozzle
presents unique challenges to the designer and fabricator.
The rockets reached supersonic speeds in excess of Mach 1.5 and peak altitudes of over 26,000 ft. However, speed and altitude weren't the project's
aim. The goals of this flight research project were to obtain aerospike rocket nozzle performance data in flight and to investigate the effects of
transonic flow and transient rocket flight conditions on aerospike nozzle performance.
"The successful planning and integration of the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test project clearly demonstrates the capability of the low-cost technology
approach used," said Scott Bartel of Blacksky Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., which built the rockets. "The flight operations support from the Tripoli
Rocketry Association and Fort Stockton shows that enthusiasm for aerospace research is universal," Bartel said.
Blacksky Corp. coordinated development of the experimental aerospike nozzles and solid propellant motors used in the tests with Cesaroni Technology
Inc., of Ontario, Canada. Cesaroni provided key support to the project with the rapid design and development of both aerospike nozzles, as well as
the custom solid propellant rocket motors. The configuration of these aerospike nozzles presented unique design and fabrication challenges for
Cesaroni.
"For many years NASA Dryden has built small radio controlled and remotely-piloted research models flown at subsonic speeds to explore new concepts
such as lifting bodies, parafoil landing systems, and the testing of hypersonic shapes for landing feasibility," said Chuck Rogers, AFFTC project
investigator. "With the demonstration of this rocket flight test technique these models can now be tested at transonic and supersonic flight
conditions at very low cost," Rogers said.
"We are very excited to have been part of the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test, and hope that the data collected during the flights at the Pecos County
Aerospace Development Center will further the development of the aerospike rocket motor," said George Riggs, president of the Pecos County/West Texas
Aerospace Development Corp. "Pecos County looks forward to continued relations with NASA Dryden, Blacksky Corp. and Cesaroni Technology Inc. as the
aerospike project moves forward," Riggs said.
NASA Dryden funded the project and instrumented the rockets. Dryden, together with the AFFTC, developed the project's flight test concept, worked the
conceptual design of the aerospikes, and are analyzing the flight data. NASA Dryden and the AFFTC are co-located on Edwards AFB, Calif.
- NASA -
For Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test photos, visit:
www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/Aerospike_Rocket/Small/index.htm
I dont know for sure of the first things I said but correct me if wrong or if you know the craft planned using this engine...