THE ALTITUDE OF STABILIZATION FOR SLOWLY TUMBLING RE-ENTRY VEHICLES

Abstract

An analysis is made to identify the parameters which determine the altitude of stabilization defined as the altitude at which the angle of attack rate first vanishes for slowly tumbling re-entry vehicles. The analysis is limited to small tumble rates and angles of attack which allow the assumptions of Cm = Cm and Cm = constant respectively. An expression is derived which implicitly relates the altitude of stabilization to (1) the initial descent velocity, VE sin , (2) the atmospheric scale height, (3) a vehicle stability parameter, Cm Al/I, and (4) the quantity ( o/ o). The important result is the fact that the initial angle of attack and initial tumble rate, i.e., o and o respectively, appear only as a ratio, o/ o, the remaining parametric quantities being properties of the vehicle, the atmosphere, and the trajectory.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1961
Accession Number
AD0278288

Entities

People

  • R. A. Norling

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerodynamic Forces
  • Aerodynamic Heating
  • Air Force
  • Altitude
  • Atmospheres
  • Atmospheric Density
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Bessel Functions
  • Differential Equations
  • Digital Computers
  • Dynamic Pressure
  • Equations
  • Government Procurement
  • High Altitude
  • New York
  • Tumbling
  • United States

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Control Systems Engineering.