. 24/7 Space News .
Aerospike Engine Flight Test Successful

The aerospike nozzle
Edwards - Apr 21, 2004
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.

Related Links
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express

Shuttle-Derived Vehicle: Shuttle-Derived Disaster
Honolulu - Apr 16, 2004
Any heavy-lift booster based on the failed technology of the Space Shuttle will certainly be too expensive and dangerous to be the basis of a viable manned Moon or Mars program. Any short-term answer to the lift deficit should be based on the newer, cheaper technology derived from the EELV program writes Jeffrey F. Bell.



Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only














The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.