Charge-2B Diagnostic Free-Flyer Pneumatic Payload Ejector Test and Calibration Report

Abstract

The CHARGE-2B sounding rocket, a joint Rome Laboratory-NASA project, Is intended to establish the feasibility of using charged particle beams as very low frequency antennas. To obtain control measurements of beam-generated waves in the ionosphere, Rome Laboratory has built the Diagnostic Free-Flyer (DFF) -- a wave receiver subpayload that will be ejected from the beam-emitting main payload during flight. It was necessary to design and fabricate a pneumatic payload ejection system capable of propelling the DFF at several meters per second relative to the main payload while not subjecting the on-board instruments to acceleration exceeding 10 g's. Calibration and reliability test data for t-he pneumatic payload ejector (PPE) are presented in this report. The calibration will be used together with accelerometer data to determine a payload separation versus time-of-flight profile for use in interpreting DFF wave data. Reliability data for the PPE are required to establish the flight-worthiness of the ejection system.... Sounding rocket technology, Payload separation mechanism, CHARGE-2B, Pneumatic actuator.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA260865

Entities

People

  • James Ernstmeyer

Organizations

  • Rome Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accelerometers
  • Actuators
  • Air Force
  • Calibration
  • Charged Particles
  • Ejection
  • Ejectors
  • Electric Fields
  • Frequency
  • Instrumentation
  • Measurement
  • Particle Beams
  • Pneumatic Actuators
  • Reliability
  • Rockets
  • Sounding Rockets
  • Very Low Frequency

Readers

  • Aerospace Research.
  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy