Rocket Program Science

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Rocket Program Science
Space Science Advisory Committee NASA
Headquarters 12 August 2003 Robert
Pfaff Project Scientist, Sounding
Rockets NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
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Rocket Program -- General Remarks

• For over 4 decades, the Sounding Rocket Program
  has been a jewel
• in the crown of NASAs spaceflight
  capabilities.
• Program rests solidly on 3 critical elements
• -- Unique, cutting edge science missions
• -- Platform for the conception, testing, and
  development of new technology
• -- Training ground for students, young
  researchers and engineers
• Two important features of the program
• -- Low Cost
• -- Rapid, quick response

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Sounding Rockets provide NASA with a new
generation of explorers

• Program continues to be enormously popular with
  users in all Code S disciplines
• Astronomy / Planetary / Solar / Geospace
• Success of Program implementation is due to
  strong three-way partnership
  P.I. Wallops
  Flight Facility NASA HQ
• P.I. is firmly in charge of the mission, from
  proposal to payload design to making the launch
  decision to the data analysis and publication of
  results.
• Rocket program not only provides hands on
  experience, it generates
• A new generation of explorers.

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Sounding Rocket Mission Categories

• Remote sensing (Telescopes)
• Users UV Astronomy, X-Ray, Planetary, Solar
• Main requirements/features
• 1. Observing platform above earths atmosphere
• 2. Fine pointing of payloads (sub arc second)
• 3. Real-time, joy stick uplink command
  positioning available
• 4. Payload recovery/reflight desired (launches
  are at White Sands)
• 5. Southern Hemisphere launch location
  (Australia) used on campaign basis
• 6. Ability to observe sources close to the sun
  (e.g., comets, Mercury, Venus)

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Sounding Rocket Mission Categories

• In situ measurements
• Users Geospace (Magnetosphere, Ionosphere,
  Thermosphere, Mesosphere)
• Main requirements/features
• 1. Access to altitudes too low for satellite in
  situ sampling (25-120 km region)
• 2. Vertical profiles of measured phenomena (cf.
  satellite horizontal profiles).
• 3. Slow vehicle speeds enable new features to be
  resolved payloads dwell in regions of interest
  
• 4. Launch into geophysical Targets of
  opportunity (e.g., aurora, cusp, thunderstorms,
  ionospheric turbulence at equator, noctilucent
  clouds, electrojets, metallic layers, etc.)
• 5. Portability provides access to remote
  geophysical sites (high and low latitudes)
• (Continued)

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Sounding Rocket Mission Categories

• In situ measurements
• Main requirements/features (continued)
• 6. Launches in conjunction with ground
  observations (e.g., radars, lidars, etc.)
• 7. Multiple payloads (clusters) launched on
  single rocket
• 8. Multiple, simultaneous launches (high and low
  apogees, different azimuths, etc.)
• 9. Luminous trails to serve as tracers of
  geophysical parameters such as winds
• 10. Flights in conjunction with orbital missions
  (e.g., Dynamics Explorer, TIMED)
• 11. Tether capabilities (e.g., 2 km tethers
  between payloads have been flown)
• 12. Collections of atmosphere samples (24
  underflights of UARS)

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Sounding Rocket Mission Categories

• Microgravity
• Main requirements/features
• 1. Long periods of zero-G relative to
  airplanes, drop towers
• 2. Recovery usually required (launches are at
  White Sands)
• 3. Rockets provide very low acceleration,
  disturbance rates relative to STS, ISS
• Special projects
• e.g., Aerobraking tests, technology
  demonstrations
• Education Initiatives
• Over 350 Ph.Ds have completed thesis-based
  sounding rocket research
• High school, undergraduate student launch
  program.
• Science slides

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New Directions at Wallops

• High Altitude Sounding Rocket (see subsequent
  charts)
• Tailored Trajectories
• Small Mesospheric Dart payloads
• Improved sub-systems (e.g. fine pointing)
• Technology Roadmap developed jointly by WFF and
  the Sounding Rocket Working Group

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NASAs first Tailored TrajectoryUniversity of
Alaska (Conde) HEX Mission

• The HEX project measured vertical winds by
  deploying a near-horizontal trail.
• This required actively re-orienting the rocket
  prior to 3rd-stage ignition. This was a first
  for NASA.
• HEX has demonstrated that this maneuver can be
  performed successfully. Capability is now
  available for the program.

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High Altitude Sounding Rocket
1000 lbs. to 3000 km 40 min. observing time
40-50 inch diameter
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High Altitude Sounding Rocket-- Astronomy /
Planetary / Solar

• Increased hang time of 40 minutes and larger
  diameter ( 1 m) telescopes will provide greater
  sensitivity (e.g., observing extra-galactic and
  other faint objects become feasible) and higher
  angular resolution.
• Longer observing times introduce
• new class of experiments (e.g. IR Payloads that
  need to cool down)
• ability to track temporal evolution of solar
  phenomena
• larger number of targets to be observed on a
  given flight
• Provides competitive observational capabilities
  not available on Hubble (e.g., rockets can carry
  out diffuse experiments, observe objects near
  the sun, such as Venus, Mercury, comets)

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High Altitude Sounding Rocket-- Prototyping New
Astronomy Missions

• Longer observing times allow new classes of low
  cost experiments
• for prototyping new technology and carrying out
  exploratory science to
• enable and validate the ambitious telescopes of
  the next millennium

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High Altitude Sounding Rocket-- Geophysics

• Ability to penetrate the aurora and cusp
  acceleration regions ( gt 2500 km), and linger
  within these regions at low velocities
• Provides ability to observe high altitude regions
  with constellations of well-instrumented
  sub-payloads
• Observe magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling
  resonances and wave interactions with periods of
  10s of minutes
• Study inner radiation belt and slot region from
  Wallops
• Observe evolution and impact of magnetic storms
  on mid-latitude geospace for considerably longer
  times
• Instrumentation testing (e.g., high velocity
  environment during re-entry in lower ionosphere
  provides for GEC prototype tests).

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High Altitude Sounding Rocket-- Other

• Microgravity Experiments
• 40 minutes of ideal micro-gravity environment
  (without vibrations common on human-tendered
  platforms such as ISS and Shuttle)
• Provides for considerably larger and longer
  combustion experiments
• Planetary Engineering
• Re-entry testing
• Aerobraking
• Smart landers
• Aero-capture

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High Altitude Sounding Rocket-- Technical and
Programmatic

• Capability
• 1000 lbs. to 3000 km altitude
• Approximately 40 minute of observation time after
  burnout
• High re-entry velocities
• 40-50 inch payload diameter
• Recovery capabilities to be included
• Commercial motors and hardware with in-house
  (NSROC) integration
• FY 04 (3.0M) and FY 05 (3.0M)
• Will fund the first demonstration flight
• Goal 1000 lbs to 3000 km for 5M (includes
  rocket, nose cone, payload subsystems, operations)

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Rocket Program-- Issues Concerns

• In the last 4 years, number of Code S flights has
  diminished, compared to historical levels.
• Planetary rocket program has been discontinued
  despite rave reviews and strong recommendations
  of Decadal Survey.
• Although program funding is on more solid ground
  than a few years ago, promised 6M ramp-up in
  FY06 must come through.
• High Altitude Sounding Rocket funds have been
  requested in next years budget to start this
  initiative -- seek support of advisory
  committees!

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BACK-UP SLIDES
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Code S missions do not include microgravity,
reimbursable, test, and student launches.
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Inguide Budget
Overguide Budget Request(Summary)
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Current MembershipNASA Sounding Rocket Working
GroupJune, 2003
Chair Dr. Robert F. Pfaff, NASA/GSFC Planetary
Atmospheres Dr. Walter Harris, University of
Wisconsin Visible/UV Astronomy Dr. James Green,
University of Colorado, Boulder Dr. Tim Cook,
Boston University High Energy Astrophysics Dr.
Dan McCammon, University of Wisconsin Solar
Physics Dr. Doug Rabin, NASA/GSFC
Plasma Physics Dr. James LaBelle, Dartmouth
College Dr. Mark Conde, University of
Alaska Ionosphere/Thermosphere/Mesosphere Dr.
Chuck Swenson, Utah State University Dr. Lynette
Gelinas, Cornell University Dr. Gerald
Lehmacher, Clemson University Microgravity (Vac
ant)
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Current MembershipNASA Sounding Rocket Working
GroupJune, 2003