The vibro-acoustic launch protection experiment overview and flight results summary

Charlotte M. Gerhart; B. Kyle Henderson; Steve Griffin; Anthony Lazzaro; Michael E. Evert; Warren McCrary; Emil Valentin Ardelean

doi:10.1117/12.547377

29 July 2004 The vibro-acoustic launch protection experiment overview and flight results summary

Charlotte M. Gerhart, B. Kyle Henderson, Steve Griffin, Anthony Lazzaro, Michael E. Evert, Warren McCrary, Emil Valentin Ardelean

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5388, Smart Structures and Materials 2004: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.547377
Event: Smart Structures and Materials, 2004, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The cost of performing any mission on orbit is a strong function of the cost of getting the mass into orbit and the mass of a spacecraft is driven by the launch loads that the components must be deigned to survive. Additionally, these design loads vary between launch vehicles so if circumstances arise that require a change in launch vehicle significant time and money can be spent in modifying and testing to meet different requirements. Technologies that reduce both the vibration and acoustic environments during launch have the potential to both reduce the design load levels, and eventually equalize them between boosters. To this end the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate in cooperation with the Space Test Program, Boeing SVS, CSA Engineering, and Delta Velocity have been investigating methods to decrease the acoustic and vibration loads induced on payloads by the launch environment and demonstrating them on a sounding rocket launch. The Vibro-Acoustic Launch Protection Experiment (VALPE) mission included an acoustically designed Chamber-Core skin, two passive/active vibration isolation experiments, a passive/active acoustic damping experiment, and an energy recovery experiment integrated onto a Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket and launched from NASA Wallops Island. A description of the overall mission, experiments, and general results from the flight test are discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Charlotte M. Gerhart, B. Kyle Henderson, Steve Griffin, Anthony Lazzaro, Michael E. Evert, Warren McCrary, and Emil Valentin Ardelean "The vibro-acoustic launch protection experiment overview and flight results summary", Proc. SPIE 5388, Smart Structures and Materials 2004: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies, (29 July 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.547377

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