2024-07-27 17 - 38 - 50.766 - 1

Download as txt, pdf, or txt
Download as txt, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 15

INTRODUCTION TO AEROSPACE

ENGINEERING
BY

Ms. G. Sravanthi
Assistant Professor

Mr. R. Suresh kumar


Assistant Professor
INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
(Autonomous)
Dundigal, Hyderabad - 500 043
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERINGEarly Flight to
World War IOverview
• Early Uses of Lighter-than-Air Flying
Machines
• Heavier-than-Air Flying Machines
– The U“ A’s Reatio to the Wight Bothes’
Invention
– The A’s Reuieets fo the Fist Milita
Aircraft
• Early Uses of Airpower
2Early Years of Flight
Introduction
• Man first flew aloft in a balloon in 1783
• Airpower did not have an immediate
impact
• Flying machines were not readily accepted
by land oriented officers
• Aipoe’s fist ajo ipat as ot util
World War I

3Balloons
• Mongolier Brothers flew first hot-air
balloon in 1783
• Ben Franklin saw first balloon flight and
immediately saw the military potential
• First used for military purposes by the
French in 1794 at Maubege
• Union and Confederate forces employed
balloons during the American Civil War
4Balloons (Cont)
• Adolphus V. Greely, the grandfather of
military aviation in US, revived interest in
military capability of balloons in 1891
– 1892 -- Greely balloon used to direct artillery fire
during the Battle of San Juan Hill
• Interest in balloons dropped quickly with the
development of heavier-than-air vehicles
5Dirigibles
• Steerable balloons -- ofte alled Aiships
• 1884 -- first successful flight in a dirigible
• Ferdinand Von Zeppelin -- person most readily
identified with dirigibles
– Zeppelins first flown in 1900
– Germans used to bomb England in WW I
– Germans used to fly observation cover for their
surface fleet in WW I
• Vulnerable to winds and ground fire
6The Early Years of Flight
• Uses of Balloons and Dirigibles
– Reconnaissance
– Artillery spotting
– Bombing (extremely limited prior to WW I)
– Morale Booster/Mail/Escape Means
– Air transport of supplies
7Early Pioneers of Flight
• Otto Lilienthal -- studied gliders and first to
explain the superiority of curved surfaces
• Percy Pilcher -- built airplane chassis
• Octave Chanute -- Developed a double winged-
glider/wrote history of flight to1900
• Samuel P. Langley -- First to secure government
support to develop an airplane
– Failed twice to fly from houseboat in 1903
– Congress withdrew monetary support
8Orville and Wilbur Wright
• First to fly a heavier-than-air, power-driven
machine -- 17 December 1903
– Flight traveled 120 feet and lasted 12 seconds
• Approached flying scientifically and
systematically
• Used experience of Lilienthal, Pilcher and
Chanute
• Built a glider in Dayton in 1899
– Moved to Kitty Hawk, N. Carolina in 1900
9Reatios to the Wight’s Ietio
• US government was very skeptical at first
– Not iteested eause of the Lagle’s failues
• Britain and France were very enthusiastic
• President Roosevelt directed the Secretary of
War, W. H. Taft, to investigate the Wright
Bothes’ ietio i 9
• Dec.1907 -- Chief Signal Officer, BG James Allen,
issued Specification # 486 calling for bids to
build the first military aircraft
10Signal Corps Specification
# 486
• Established the requirements for the first military
aircraft. Aircraft must be able to:
– Carry 2 persons
– Reach speed of 40 mph
– Carry sufficient fuel for 125 mile nonstop flight
– Be controllable in flight in any direction
– Fly at least one hour
– Land at take-off point, without damage
– Be taken apart and reassembled in one hour
– No Military Operational Requirements Specified
11Specification # 486 (Cont)
• 41 proposals were received, only 3
complied with specifications
• US Army signed contract with Wright
Brothers on 10 Feb 1908
• Wright Brothers delivered the first military
aircraft on 20 Aug 1908
• US Army accepted the first operational
aircraft on 2 Aug 1909
12The Early Years of Flight
Closing Remarks
• Until WW I balloons, dirigibles and aircraft
were primarily reconnaissance vehicles
• Early on, the flying machines were not seen
as weapons of war
• Few believed the flying service was ready to
be a separate air force
• The potential uses of the airplane would
evolve considerably during WW I
13Summary
• Early Uses of Lighter-than-Air Flying
Machines
• Heavier-than-Air Flying Machines
– The U“ A’s Reatio to the Wight Bothes’
Invention
– The A’s Reuieets fo the Fist Milita
Aircraft
• Early Uses of Airpower
14History of FlightAviation Through the Ages
1000B.C to 1250A.D
• Man's observations of the earth around him aroused his
curiosity and often inspired him to attempt the impossible.
How did man's lack of knowledge of the physical laws of
nature sometimes bring him tragedy?
• The Greek myth of Daedalus and his son Icarus was written
around 1000 B.C. The myth states that after Daedalus built
the labyrinth the king of Crete threw him in it to test it. He
and his son Icarus escaped by building wings of wax and
flying away. However Icarus flew too high and the wax in
his wings began to melt. His wings collapsed and he
plunged to his death in the sea.
• Kites flown around the year 400 B.C. in China were
ancestors of modern aviation and the airplane. In the year
1020 A.D. Oliver of Malmesbury put on a pair of wings and
leapt from the top of an abbey. He landed very hard and
broke his legs. Luckily he survived the crash. Many others
attempted to fly with "wings" but all failed, sometimes
fatally.Aviation Through the Ages
1250 to 1750

• I was one of the first to experiment with the


science of flying. Unfortunately my writings and
sketches weren't discovered until three hundred
years after my death.
• Leonardo da Vinci spent most of his life
exploring flight and left the world about 160
documents of sketches and observations about
flight. He made important discoveries about
the center of gravity, the center of pressure,
and streamlining. But like so many people of
his time he was obsessed with learning to fly
like a bird. What is the difference between
simply gliding and really flying like a bird?Aviation Through the Ages
1750 to 1850
• What forces cause smoke to rise in a fireplace? This was
what sparked Montgolfier's curiosity.
• Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier designed the first
successful flying craft. Their observations led them to
believe that burning created a gas, which they called
"Montgolfier's gas," causing a craft to rise. They
constructed a balloon made of cloth and paper. The first
aviators were a duck, rooster, and a sheep. Then in 1783 a
crowd in Paris watched as a Montgolfier balloon carried
two French men. The way the balloons worked is hot air
and gases filled the balloon causing it to lift. Once it was in
the air it simply went wherever the wind took it. To counter
this problem Henri Giffard designed a round oval shaped
balloon called a blimp and combined it with a steam engine
to make it steerable. When gasoline engines were invented
they became a major source of transportation across the
Atlantic Ocean. The Hindenburg zeppelin disaster in 1937
caused the end for these large airships.Aviation Through the Ages
1850 to 1900

• Sir George Cayley set in motion the


future study of aerodynamics in a single
sentence. "The whole problem is confined
within these limits, namely to make a
surface support a given weight by the
application of power to the resistance of
air ."
• Sir George Cayley experimented with
gliders at his home in Yorkshire. He was
the first to discover how wings work.
Cayley discovered that wings are lifted
on the air. He also constructed the first
aircraft that was heavier than air. He is
now recognized as the father of aviation.
He came up with many principles of
heavier-than-air flight.Aviation Through the Ages
1850 to 1900
• In 1896, the German engineer,
Otto Lilienthal, tested several
monoplane and biplane gliders.
He built and flew the first glider
capable of carrying a person, but
died when he crashed in a sudden
gust of wind before he could
finish his powered plane.
• The structure of an airplane as we
know it today was in its formative
years. What are the parts of a
plane and how does each
function?AIRPLANE
• An airplane is a vehicle heavier than air, powered by an
engine, which travels through the air by the reaction of
air passing over its wings.
• FUSELAGE
The fuselage is the central body portion of an airplane
which accommodates the crew and passengers or cargo.
• COCKPIT
In general aviation airplanes, the cockpit is usually the
space in the fuselage for the pilot and the passengers: in
some aircrafts it is just the pilot's compartment.
• LANDING GEAR
The landing gear, located underneath the airplane,
supports it while on the ground.
• WINGS
Wings are the parts of airplanes which provide lift and
support the entire weight of the aircraft and its contents
while in flight.EXPERIMENT 2
Equipment:
• 2 sheets of notebook paper
• Hold two sheets of notebook paper about four
inches apart. Blow between them. Instead of
flying apart they come together. The air
moving rapidly between the two pieces of
paper has less pressure than the air pressing
on the outer sides of the paper.Equipment:
Ping-pong ball
• Tank-type vacuum cleaner
• Connect the hose to the blower rather than to the suction end
of the vacuum cleaner. Turn the switch on. Hold the hose
vertically so the stream of air goes straight up. Release the
ping-pong ball into the stream of air about a foot from the
nozzle. Slowly tip the nose so that air shoots at an angle. The
ball will stay suspended in the airstream. The force of gravity
upon the ball tends to make it drop out of the airstream.
However, the fast moving airstream lessens the air pressure
on the portion of the ball remaining in the airstream,
overcoming the force of gravity, which results in the ball
remaining suspended.Aviation Through the Ages
1900 to 1935

• "Only those who are acquainted with practical


aeronautics can appreciate the difficulties of
attempting the first trials of a flying machine in a 25-
mile gale. . . but. . . we were determined. . . to know
whether the machine possessed sufficient power to
fly."
• That was Wilbur Wright's statement to The Associated
Press, January 5, 1904.
• At 10:35 a.m. on December 17, 1903 the world's first
successful airplane known as the Flyer I accelerated
along its launching rail and flew through the air.
Twelve seconds later it landed 100 yards away on the
soft sand at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina. The pilot Orville and his brother Wilbur had
experimented for four years with kites and engines to
make the first successful flight ever.
• The brothers had made their own engine that
weighed 200 pounds and had four cylinders. It could
make 12 horse power, a sixth of the engine power of
a small car. It had no seat and the pilot had to lay in a
cradle in the bottom wing.Aviation Through the Ages
1900 A.D to 1935 A.D
• The Wright brothers continued to perfect their plane and it was
in a Wright biplane that the first transcontinental flight was
made by Calbraith P. Rodgers, in 1911.

The key to their success was to learn how to control the plane.
How were they able to accomplish this task?

• In 1914 World War I broke out. At first planes were used mostly
for reconnaissance, but later planes developed into biplane and
triplane fighters and bombers. Experiments were done with even
more sets of wings, but most failed. The main fighters of the war
were the British Sopwith "Camel," its cousin, "The Snipe," and
the famous German Fokker Df.I which was flown by the infamous
Red Baron. Aerial tactics and strategies were developed during
the middle of the war. Germany developed many fighter tactics
that are still in modified use today. The compass was an
important instrument to these early fighters. How do they work?
How has the technology changed over the decades?Aviation Through the Ages
1900 to 1935
• After the war General Billy Mitchell became an
advocate for military aviation. He and his pilots
achieved many firsts in the field of aviation during
these golden years. But the Europeans were leading
the race in commercial flight. It wasn't until Ralph
Pulitzer offered a trophy to promote high-speed flight
and began a national craze for air races that the
American public began to take notice.
• In 1918, the Post Office Department started airmail
service in the United States. The first Mailwing was
built by Pitcairn Aviation, Inc. In 1926, Congress
passed the Air Commerce Act. This established an
Aeronautics Branch within the Department of
Commerce. They were authorized to license planes
and pilots and provide standards for commercial
flight. And in 1927, Charles Lindbergh completed the
first transatlantic flight. He instantly became a world
hero.
• Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across
the Atlantic in 1928.Aviation Through the Ages
1935 A.D to 1950 A.D
• New technologies developed throughout the course
of World War II. The motto was if you commanded
the skies you could win the war.
• World War II implemented almost exclusively
monoplanes. Both sides of the war manufactured
literally thousands of fighters and bombers. The
main Allied planes included the British Supermarine
Spitfire Mk.IV, the American P-51 Mustang, the
American C-4U Corsair, the American B-17, and the
American B-29 Superfortress. The Grumann F6F
Hellcat was first used in 1943 and became the
premier carrier fighter plane. The main Axis planes
were the Bf109, the Junkers Ju-22, and the Stuka
dive-bomber. The mainstay of the Japanese forces
was the feared Mitsubishi Zero-sen. Our hangar
also includes the North American T28 B and the AT-
6 Texan, other planes from this period.Aviation Through the Ages
1935 A.D to 1950 A.D
• The major air battle of WW II was
the Battle of Britain. For days the
much larger German Luftwaffe
attacked the British Isles, but the
small number of British Spitfires
always seemed to know exactly
where and when the German
bombers would be attacking and
how large of a force.
The reason for this was a relatively
new technology called radar
allowed the British ground
stations to detect and identify the
size, speed, distance, and
trajectory of the German bombers
and send their Spitfires on perfect
intercept missions.Aviation Through the Ages
1935 A.D to 1950 A.D
• Instrumentation was crude in
comparison to today's technology. In
the early days pilots relied on
landmarks and sometimes even pre-
set bonfires to guide them along their
way. What were the early
instruments like and what were their
functions? How has instrumentation
evolved through the ages?
• In the late 1940's, the military had
developed the jet engine and began
changing over to jet fighters. This
resulted in faster and better
performing craft. New aviation
records were set. In 1947, Chuck
Yeager broke the sound barrier.Aviation Through the Ages
1950 A.D to 1975 A.D

• After Chuck Yeager's supersonic flight in 1947,


aviation entered a new era dominated by jets.
• The years following the war saw the aviation
industry grow in leaps and bounds. The military
airforce developed more effective planes to
address the arms race with Russia. The B-47 and
B-52 bombers were built to be used to deliver
nuclear bombs. They were the world's heaviest
bombers and could hold up to 99,206 pounds of
bombs. Early bombers flew so high that the crew
had to wear pressure suits but later they were
used at low altitude because they were harder to
locate with radar.Aviation Through the Ages
1950 A.D to 1975 A.D
• In September, 1955, a contract was awarded to North
American Aviation for the X-15 plane which could fly at
4,500 miles per hour at an altitude of at least 70,000
feet. 54 percent of its total weight was its fuel (18,000
pounds). The total weight of the X-15 was 33,000
pounds. Though only three of this type of plane were
built they flew a total of over 200 times. The highest
speed ever reached was about 4,525 miles per hour or
Mach 6.72.Aviation Through the Ages
1950 A.D to 1975 A.D
• In 1958, the first American commercial jet, the
707, was put into service by the Boeing
Company. The commercial liners were an instant
hit with passengers who appreciated the faster
flying time. Again new records were set. By 1966
both Lockheed and Douglas Aircraft Corporations
had entered the commercial industry giving rise
to competition and the development of new
technologies.
• During the Vietnam War the use of military air
power was somewhat limited by policy in
Washington. President Nixon launched the only
strategic bombing campaign of the war. Many
fliers were shot down over Southeast Asia. They
were recently honored in a ceremony dedicating
the Missing Man Monument at Randolph Air
Force Base, in Texas.Aviation Through the Ages
1975A.D to 2000A.D
• Aviation has changed much since the beginning of time.
• The world's first supersonic commercial passenger aircraft operating regular
scheduled flights was the Concorde. It was developed jointly by Great Britain
and France during the 1960s and 1970s when the Comet 4, the DC-3, and the
Constellation were in regular service. No other supersonic aircraft can fly as
fast
and as far as the Concorde without needing mid-flight refueling. Some military
aircraft can fly faster, but need in-flight refueling. The Concorde flies
literally on
the edge of space, high through the atmosphere. Passengers are even capable of
seeing the earth's surface.

• The Nighthawk (F-117A) first flew in 1981 and began combat in 1989. This jet
was designed to avoid detection and mount precision attacks. It is the first
stealth combat aircraft in the world. It has a top speed of 593 mph (955 kph) and
is loaded with 5,000 lbs. of weapons. The choice of weaponry varies from laser-
guided bombs, air-to-air missiles, or air-to-surface missiles. Two types of
weapons can be carried at one time. The outside of the Nighthawk is coated
with a special material that absorbs some of the radar signals that strike it. It
is
protected by 24 hour security with armed guards all around it. Authorized
personnel must pass a palm print test to get near the aircraft.Aviation Through
the Ages
1975A.D to 2000A.D
• The CL-415, or "Firebird," is a very
important aircraft. This aircraft is
amphibious, which means it can be
operated from land or water. It was
developed by Canadair to stop raging
forest fires. However, it is also useful for
search and rescue missions, especially
on the sea. It can search for survivors
for up to seven hours before refueling.
It can scoop water into its tanks.
Through doors in the bottom of the
aircraft it drops water on the fire.
• The age of computers continues to
impact the aviation field. Today's
technology is exciting and it seems as if
"the sky's the limit" as we look into the
future.Aviation today and tomorrow
• Boeing 787
designed completely on
the computer
• will carry 250 - 290
passengers on routes of
8,000 to 8,500 nautical
miles
• The airplane will use 20
percent less fuel for
comparable missions
than today's similarly
sized airplane. It will also
travel at speeds similar to
today's fastest wide
bodies, Mach 0.85.
Airlines will enjoy more
cargo revenue capacity.Martin Aircraft - Maryland
• 1937 Mini-Mariner,
the flying prototype
of the WWII flying
boat bomber
A PBM-3 Martin Mariner in flight
Martin PBM-5A Mariner.
This was the only amphibious version
of the Mariner.Basic Properties of the
AtmosphereEssential Points
1. Heat, Temperature and Temperature Scales
2. The Electromagnetic Spectrum
3. Composition of the Atmosphere
4. Layers in the atmosphere are defined by
temperature profiles
5. How pressure varies in the atmosphere
6. Principal weather instruments
7. Eath’s adiatio udgetHeat and Temperature
• Temperature: Average energy of molecules or
atoms in a material
• Heat: Total energy of molecules or atoms in a
material
• Can have large amount of heat but low
temperatures
• Can have high temperatures but little heat
1. Heat, Temperature and
Temperature ScalesHeat and Temperature
• The eath’s outeost atosphee is
eteel hot ut its heat otet is
negligible
• The surface of the moon can reach 250 F in
sunlight and -200 F in shadow, but the vacuum
around the Apollo astronauts contained no
heat.
• It takes time for things to warm up and cool
off.
1. Heat, Temperature and
Temperature ScalesTemperature Scales
• Fahrenheit
– Water Freezes at 32 F
– Water Boils at 212 F
• Centigrade or Celsius
– Water Freezes at 0 C
– Water Boils at 100 C
• Two scales exactly equal at -40

1. Heat, Temperature and


Temperature ScalesAbsolute Temperature
• Oe atos stop oig, that’s as old as it
can get
• Absolute Zero = -273 C = -459 F
• Kelvin scale uses Celsius degrees and starts at
absolute zero
• Most formulas involving temperature use the
Kelvin Scale
1. Heat, Temperature and
Temperature ScalesElectromagnetic Radiation
• Radio: cm to km wavelength
• Microwaves: 0.1 mm to cm
• Infrared: 0.001 to 0.1 mm
• Visible light 0.0004 – 0.0007 mm
• Ultraviolet 10
-9
– 4 x 10
-7
m
• X-rays 10
-13
– 10
-9
m
• Gamma Rays 10
-15
–10
-11
m
2. The Electromagnetic SpectrumComposition of the Atmosphere
• Nitrogen 78.08%
• Oxygen 20.95%
• Argon 0.93% (9300 ppm)
• Carbon Dioxide 0.035% (350 ppm)
• Neon 18 ppm
• Helium 5.2 ppm
• Methane 1.4 ppm
• Ozone 0.07 ppm
3. Composition of the AtmosphereOther Components of the Atmosphere
• Water Droplets
• Ice Crystals
• Sulfuric Acid Aerosols
• Volcanic Ash
• Windblown Dust
• Sea Salt
• Human Pollutants
3. Composition of the AtmosphereStructure of the Atmosphere
• Defined by Temperature Profiles
• Troposphere
– Where Weather Happens
• Stratosphere
– Ozone Layer
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere
– Ionosphere
4. Layers in the atmosphere are
defined by temperature
profilesTroposphere
• Heating of the Surface creates warm air at
surface
• Warm air rises, but air expands as it rises and
cools as it expands (Adiabatic cooling)
• Heating + Adiabatic Cooling = Warm air at
surface, cooler air above
• Buoyancy = Cool air at surface, warmer air
above
• Two opposing tendencies = constant turnover
4. Layers in the atmosphere are
defined by temperature
profilesStratosphere
• Altitude 11-50 km
• Temperature increases with altitude
• -60 C at base to 0 C at top
• Reason: absorption of solar energy to make
ozone at upper levels (ozone layer)
• Ozone (O
3
) is effective at absorbing solar
ultraviolet radiation
4. Layers in the atmosphere are
defined by temperature
profilesMesosphere
• 50 – 80 km altitude
• Temperature decreases with altitude
• 0 C at base, -95 C at top
• Top is coldest region of atmosphere
4. Layers in the atmosphere are
defined by temperature
profilesThermosphere
• 80 km and above
• Temperature increases with altitude as atoms
accelerated by solar radiation
• -95 C at base to 100 C at 120 km
• Heat content negligible
• Traces of atmosphere to 1000 km
• Formerly called Ionosphere

4. Layers in the atmosphere are


defined by temperature
profilesWhy is the Mesosphere so Cold?
• Stratosphere warmed because of ozone layer
• Thermosphere warmed by atoms being
accelerated by sunlight
• Mesosphere is sandwiched between two
warmer layers
4. Layers in the atmosphere are
defined by temperature
profilesHow Heat Moves
• Radiation
• Conduction
• Convection
7. Earth’s radiation budgetMagnetosphere
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
53Effects of Spacecraft / Plasma Interactions
• plasma wave generation
• arcing and sputtering at significantly high
negative potential relative to the plasma
• spacecraft charging at high inclination
orbits
• current balance between the space vehicle
and the ambient plasma
• geomagnetic field effects
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
54Solar Environment
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
55Solar Wind
• The solar wind is a stream of energized, charged particles,
primarily electrons and protons, flowing outward from the
Sun
• Coposi tio siila to the “u’s ooa
– Protons (~ 70%), electrons, ionized helium, less than 0.5% minor ions
– Genesis mission
• Approximately 10
9
kg/s of material is lost by the sun as
ejected solar wind
• Speed: 200 – 900 km/s
• Solar sail
• Solar wind is also a plasma environment
– Not just gas
– Electrically conductive
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
56Ionizing Radiation
• Radiation has a major impact on on-board
digital circuitry
– Long-term degradation and failure (ranges from
months to years)
– Short-term, single event effects (SEE)
• Minor (bit flips)
• Major (catastrophic burnout)
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
57Radiation Effects
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
58Radiation Belts
• Two belts (donut
shaped)
• Magnetic field traps the
particles
• Discovered by Explorer
III in 1958
• Composed of
– Electrons
– Protons
– Some heavy ions
• Effects
– Electrons: total dose
– Protons: total dose
and SEE
– Ions: SEE
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
59Movement of Particles
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
60South Atlantic Anomaly
• Magnetic field weaker in South
Atlantic
• Result is particle penetration
• Note polar effect as well
• SEU effect on UoSat-2
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
61Galactic Cosmic Rays
• High energy particles from interstellar
space
• Flux inversely related to solar max
periods
• Primary effect
– Single event upsets
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
62Radiation Effects on Spacecraft:
Solar Cells
• High energy protons &
electrons collide with the
crystal lattice structure
• Collisions displace atoms
from their lattice sites
• Eventually, the displaced
atoms form stable defects
• Defects change the
propagation of
photoelectrons in the
lattice structure
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
63Radiation Effects on Spacecraft: Solid State
Devices
• Nominal MOS or CMOS technology
• Charged Particles:
– Vol tag e output of a GATE
sithes auptl fo a to a
at a speified oltage
• Radiation:
– Switching threshold changes
– Drain current and output voltage
also change
• Effects caused by cumulative effect of
high energy protons and electrons
(Cumulative Dosage measured in rads)
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
64Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
65Meteoroid/Orbital Debris
• Meteoroid population consists the remnants of comets,
spent rocket stages, fragments of rockets and satellites,
other hardware, as well as operational satellites.

Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,


2010
66Micrometeoroids/Orbital Debris
• Example collisions
– Russia/US satellites collision
– Cerres/Ariane 3rd Stage Debris
• VERY HIGH kinetic energies
• NASA predicted results
– Fatal spacesuit damage from 0.3 to 0.5 mm particle
– Catastrophic shuttle damage from 4 mm particle

Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,


2010
67Micrometeoroids/Orbital Debris: Defense
• Double Wall Bumper
– 1st wall fragments impacting
particle into smaller, slower pieces
– 2nd wall stops those pieces

ESA Scientific Spacecraft


(flew through Halley's Comet dust cloud)
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
68
From Space Vehicle Design, by Griffin and FrenchEnvironments and Effects
Debris: Magnitude of Problem
• NORAD tracks ~7000 objects
larger than 10 cm
• Only 5% are operational S/C
• Statistical analysis suggests
~40,000 larger than 1 cm
• Collisions generate more debris
– ie 1985 hypervelocity ASAT test
estimated to have created 10
6

fragments between 1 mm and 1


cm diameter
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
69
Cataloged Objects (July 1987)Gravitational Field
• Free Fall Environment (not Zero-G or Microgravity)
– At Sea Level: a
g
= 9.8 m/s
2
= 1.0 g
– At 200 km: a
g
= 9.2 m/s
2
= 0.94 g
– At 1000 km: a
g
= 7.3 m/s
2
= 0.75 g
– At GEO: a
g
= 0.2 m/s
2
= 0.023 g
• Effects:
– Structures/Mechanisms: Minimum size structural components
– Propulsion: Fuel flow (ullage burns, etc)
– TCS: Fluid flow considerations (heat pipes wicking)
– etc
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
70Spacecraft Environment Related
Anomalies
• Flare/Geomagnetic Storm
– GOES-7: lost imagery and communications, solar arrays degraded
2-3 years worth
– DSP: star sensor contamination, memory upsets, lost data, power
panel degradation
– Memory Upsets: DMSP, GPS, INTELSAT, TDRSS
• Spacecraft Charging
– Milstar: power supply failure
– Anik: momentum wheel failure
– GOES: phantom commands
• Galactic Cosmic Ray
– Pioneer: memory anomalies
Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,
2010
71Conclusions
• Definition of the flight environment is the first critical step.
• Not all space environments will have a critical impact on a
particular mission.
• After definition of the space environment is established
including results from trade studies, the next important step
is to establish a coordinated set of natural space
environment requirements for use in design and
development.
• The space environment definition and requirements are
documented in a separate program document or are
incorporated into design and performance specifications.
• The environments specialist then helps insure that the
environment specifications are understood and correctly
interpreted throughout the design, development, and
operational phases of the program.

Space Engineering 2 © Dr. X Wu,


2010
72

You might also like