Kruegon
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- Joined
- May 20, 2014
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The other day I was discussing the Explorer I with a NASA engineer.
The Explorer I was a final stage finless dart rocket. The only noticeable point of drag was a protruding shroud near the very aft.
According to him, the launch vehicle was "spun up" on the pad. The motors were canted to promote continuous spin in flight. The second stage was also canted to promote spin. Once the Explorer I completed final separation, the spin was the contributing factor to maintaining flight stability.
Of course, I now want to simulate this effect in an HP rocket. My current thoughts are this:
1) Stacked 45° recessed shrouds to created some drag for stability.
2) Dual, canted, high thrust 29mm motors. Probably two I200s. Sims and testing will determine this for sure.
3) Use a launch tower instead of a rail. Possibly custom build one that can spin up the rocket prior to ignition. I'm not sure the canted motors will be enough to generate stable spin without the jumpstart of the pad spin.
What are the thoughts of the hive mind?
The Explorer I was a final stage finless dart rocket. The only noticeable point of drag was a protruding shroud near the very aft.
According to him, the launch vehicle was "spun up" on the pad. The motors were canted to promote continuous spin in flight. The second stage was also canted to promote spin. Once the Explorer I completed final separation, the spin was the contributing factor to maintaining flight stability.
Of course, I now want to simulate this effect in an HP rocket. My current thoughts are this:
1) Stacked 45° recessed shrouds to created some drag for stability.
2) Dual, canted, high thrust 29mm motors. Probably two I200s. Sims and testing will determine this for sure.
3) Use a launch tower instead of a rail. Possibly custom build one that can spin up the rocket prior to ignition. I'm not sure the canted motors will be enough to generate stable spin without the jumpstart of the pad spin.
What are the thoughts of the hive mind?