ORBITAL PAYLOAD REDUCTIONS RESULTING FROM BOOSTER AND TRAJECTORY MODIFICATIONS FOR RECOVERY OF A LARGE ROCKET BOOSTER
Abstract
An analysis was made to determine the reduction in payload for a 300 nautical mile orbit from the addition of inert weight, representing recovery gear, to the first-stage booster of a threestage rocket vehicle. The values of added inert weight ranged from 0 to 18% of gross weight at lift off. The stdy included the effects on the payload in orbit and the distance from the launch site at burnout and at impact caused by variation in the vertical rise time before the programmed tilt. The vertical rise times ranged from 16.7 to 100% of booster burning time. For a vertical rise of 16.7% of booster burning time a 50% increase in the weight of the empty booster resulted in only a 10% reduction of the payload in orbit. For no added booster weight, inceasing vertical rse time from 16.7 to 100% of booster burning time (so that the spent booster would impact in the launch area) reduced the payload by 37%. Increasng the vertical rise time from 16.7 to 50% of booster burning time resulted in about a 15% reduction in the impact distance, and for vertical rise times greater than 50% the impact distance decreased rapidly.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0268345
Entities
People
- Alan D. Levin
- Edward J. Hopkins
Organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration