Titan Vehicle Electrostatic Environment
Abstract
Ground and flight instrumentation was developed and employed for the study of vehicle electrification during the launch of two Titan IIIC rockets. The flight instrumentation operated and gathered data from ignition to payload orbit injection at 19,400 nmi. The first launch occurred under clear-weather conditions and provided data on rocket-motor electrification at liftoff and in the ionosphere. On the second launch, clouds existed in the launch area so that this flight provided data on vehicle electrification during flight through precipitation. The results of the experiment indicate that rockets become electrified by the action of the engines at liftoff, and that precipitation- particle impact also produces electrification. Streamer discharges were measured resulting from precipitation-static electrification of a dielectric surface on the front of the rocket. Results from the atmospheric portion of the flight indicate that the electrostatic behavior of a large rocket is similar to that of a jet aircraft. In the flight through the ionosphere, it was found that operation of the main engines and altitude-control rockets produced readily detected signals in the electrostatic sensors. This indicated that rocket- exhaust constituents were being returned to the vicinity of the vehicle. Data from the ground instrumentation indicate that the electrostatic fields in the vicinity of the pad at launch are dominated by charges on the clouds generated by the launch. Instrumentation and the results of the tests are discussed in considerable detail. Where appropriate, results are compared to theoretical analyses or to earlier measurements on aircraft and rockets.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0913898
Entities
People
- G. R. Hilbers
- Joseph E. Nanevicz
Organizations
- SRI International