Max Q

In aerospace engineering, the maximum dynamic pressure, often referred to as maximum Q or max Q, is the point at which aerodynamic stress on a vehicle in atmospheric flight is maximized. It is an important factor in the structural and mission design of rockets, missiles, and other aerospace vehicles which travel through an atmosphere; the flight envelope may be limited to reduce the total structural load on a vehicle near max Q.

Dynamic pressure, q, is defined mathematically as

where ρ is the local air density, and v is the vehicle's velocity; the dynamic pressure can be thought of as the kinetic energy density of the air with respect to the vehicle. For a launch of a rocket from the ground into space, dynamic pressure is

Therefore (by Rolle's theorem) there will always be a point where the dynamic pressure is maximum. The point where that occurs is max Q.

Max Q (film)

Max Q, or Max Q: Emergency Landing, is a 1998 television film.

Plot summary

A US space shuttle is launched into space to release a new satellite when an explosion occurs and the crew has to solve of a way to get back to Earth without atmospheric pressure (Max Q) crushing the damaged shuttle.

References

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Max Q (disambiguation)

Max Q is the maximum value of dynamic pressure associated with a body travelling through the atmosphere, typically a spacecraft during launch.

Max Q may also refer to: