From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4_at_msn.com)
Date: Mon Apr 19 2004 - 16:44:48 PDT
----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Webb<mailto:kd6nrp_at_earthlink.net>
To: Launch Alert<mailto:launch-alert_at_mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 7:36 PM
Subject: [Launch Alert] Launch Delayed
LAUNCH ALERT
Brian Webb
2004 April 19 (Monday) 16:31 PDT
BOEING DELTA II LAUNCH OF NASA SATELLITE SCRUBBED
ST. LOUIS, April 19, 2004 - Today's launch of a Boeing [NYSE: BA]
Boeing and NASA officials halted the countdown approximately three
The launch team will attempt to launch again tomorrow at an
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FIRST AEROSPIKE ENGINE FLIGHT TEST SUCCESSFUL
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, the U.S. Air Force Flight Test
The effort, called the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test, yielded big
Two 10-ft. long solid-fueled rockets with aerospike nozzles were flown
"The success of the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test project opens up a
Aerospike nozzles can be thought of as inside-out rocket nozzles.
Although the advantages of the aerospike nozzles are well understood
The rockets reached supersonic speeds in excess of Mach 1.5 and peak
"The successful planning and integration of the Dryden Aerospike
Blacksky Corp. coordinated development of the experimental aerospike
"For many years NASA Dryden has built small radio controlled and
"We are very excited to have been part of the Dryden Aerospike Rocket
NASA Dryden funded the project and instrumented the rockets. Dryden,
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Copyright © 2004 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
Reprinted from Launch Alert (www.spacearchive.info/newsletter.htm<http://www.spacearchive.info/newsletter.htm>)
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: Mon Apr 19 2004 - 16:53:03 PDT
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Boeing News Release
Delta II rocket carrying the NASA Gravity Probe B satellite from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., has been scrubbed for 24 hours.
minutes before liftoff after it was determined that there was
insufficient time to confirm that the correct wind profile data had
been loaded aboard the Delta II based on a weather balloon that was
monitoring upper level winds.
instantaneous window of 9:57:24 a.m. PDT.
NASA News Release
Center (AFFTC), and Blacksky Corporation joined forces on the prairie
lands of West Texas recently to fly small aerospike rocket nozzles.
returns, providing the first known data from a solid-fueled aerospike
rocket in flight.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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