Multistage Electromagnetic and Laser Launchers for Affordable, Rapid Access to Space

Abstract

This is the final report for efforts made under AFOSR MURI Award No. FA9550-05-1-0341, including summaries of the research effort at UT-IAT, TTU, UMN, and UNO. Efforts at UT-IAT focused on developing methods to improve the integrity of the augmented launcher bore using high-pressure assembly techniques and improved ceramic tiles to provide longer bore life for research at velocities up to 7 km/s. Researchers at TTU have designed a 40-stage, high-efficiency, distributed synchronous launcher to demonstrate operation at high velocities (the goal is ~10 km/s) with plasma arcs. Researchers at UMN and UNO have continued to make progress in defining the requirements for the thermal protection system for hypervelocity projectile launches from high altitude at Mach numbers of ~25.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA590562

Entities

People

  • D. Motes
  • David A. Wetz
  • F. Stefani
  • G. V. Candler
  • I. R. Mcnab
  • J. J. Mankowski
  • J. V. Parker
  • M. Giesselman
  • M. J. Guillot
  • R. Karhi

Organizations

  • University of Texas at Austin

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerodynamic Heating
  • Boundary Layer
  • Carbon Carbon Composites
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Computer Simulations
  • Control Systems
  • Geometry
  • Grids
  • Heat Transfer
  • High Altitude
  • Launchers
  • Mach Number
  • Materials Processing
  • Payload
  • Power Electronics
  • Pulsed Power
  • Rocket Engines

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Research Science/Academic Research
  • ballistics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster