Orbital Report

Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) – Cooperative Education Work Report

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute i 2/9/2015

Cooperative Education Project Work Report Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Testing and Integration of Sounding Rocket Payloads Overview

Duration: 11AUG14 – 19DEC14

Ray Parker1

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering

Orbital Sciences Corporation, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia 23337

Mentors: Robert Marshall2, Philip Cathell3

1 Testing and Environmental Engineering Co-op, Chemical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 2 Testing and Environmental Engineering Lab Supervisor. 3 Mechanical Engineering Lead, Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University.


Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Page 1 12/10/2014

I. Overview Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital ATK) is an industry leader in small and medium class space and rocket

systems. Orbital also supports human space flight by supplying commercial cargo resupply services for the

International Space Station using our new Antares® rocket and Cygnus™ cargo logistics spacecraft. In addition,

Orbital provides full service engineering, production and technical services for NASA, DoD, commercial and

academic space programs. Orbital also holds various commercial contracts, such as the NASA’s Commercial

Resupply Services (CRS) Contract and NASA’s Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC II).

In 2010, Orbital Sciences Corporation was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA) as the prime contractor role for the NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract II (NSROC II) program.

Under the NSROC II program, which is primarily centered at the NASA/GSFC, Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia,

Orbital’s Technical Services Division (TSD) is responsible for planning, coordinating, and carrying out sounding

rocket missions from locations in the U.S. and around the world. In addition, Orbital TSD is working with NASA to

develop and implement advanced sounding rocket capabilities to be used on the program. Sounding rockets are

smaller-sized launch vehicles that conduct suborbital missions for high-altitude scientific and atmospheric research.

Co-op Abstract. Under direct supervision by a senior testing and environmental technician or engineer,

perform specific engineering tasks of an analysis or test nature in a specialized engineering fields. Will

work to test and integrate sounding rocket payloads and various components and systems of spaceflight

sounding rocket technologies. Will collaborate with the Mechanical Engineering Department in the

Technical Services Division to help design and model hardware for future testing or integration. Apply

theoretical knowledge and engineering techniques to the solution of analytical engineering problems.

A. Key Deliverables at Project Completion:

1. Develop understandings of sounding rocket integration and testing timelines.

2. Aid in the design and modeling of multiple hardware components for the Mechanical Engineering

Department and develop an understanding of hardware manufacturing and assembly.

3. Develop a broad understanding of sounding rocket payload systems and suggestion modifications

and troubleshoot problems.

B. Key Learning:

1. Sounding rocket integration and testing timeline development.

2. Gain understanding of hardware and components that make up sounding rockets.

3. Understand manufacturing process and mechanical integration limitation.

The majority of sounding rocket flight hardware that is used at Wallops Flight Facility is tested in the Testing and

Environmental (T&E) Laboratory, run by Orbital Sciences. The lab consists of machinery and electrical devices that

are used to balance, vibrate, deploy, and bend test all sounding rocket payloads, and can also perform magnetic

calibration, and mass property analytics. The T&E Laboratory is a subsidiary of the Mechanical Engineering

Department which is overlooked by the Engineering Directorate underneath NSROC II Operations Management.

All sounding rocket payloads consist of scientific instruments or telescope, as directed by NASA. Each year

applications are sent out to academic institutions across the globe, of whom submit proposals with certain specialized

experiments designed to study sub-orbital space and high-atmospheric environments. Accepted proposals are then laid

out into the launch manifest. Launch can be achieved in as little as six months from design conception. Different

rocket payloads are split into different group classes with each payload being assigned a mechanical technician,

electrical technician, power engineering, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, altitude control systems (ACS)

engineer and mission manager. This team takes the entire payload from the design stage to the final launch.

Scientific instrumentation and telescopes are the two main payloads launched by sounding rockets. Since sounding

rockets are much more simple than traditional medium-class orbital launch vehicles, they have a very quick turnaround

time (sometimes less than a month), much less expensive (sometimes as low as a million dollars), and allows for

repeatability of experiments and launches. When NASA puts a telescope (such as the Hubble Space Telescope, The

Great Observatories, etc.) into orbit, they require calibration and setting adjustments before they can begin taking

observations. In order to do this, NASA uses sounding rockets with identical lenses to put it into space momentarily,

allowing them to fine tune the settings of the satellite telescopes.



Most payloads consists of sub-payloads, stowaway booms and ampules that take sensitive measurements in high

atmospheric or space environments. These payloads are released by the launch vehicle at certain altitudes or variable

timing and are shot off by rockets, deployed by springs or pyrotechnics, or extended off the main body of the payload.

As an intern, some tasks and responsibilities that were required were to help in critical lift operations of various

flight hardware, including payloads/payload sections, palettes, vacuum chambers, various experiments and other

machinery. Additionally, torqueing joints and bolts, troubleshooting various problems within mechanical and

electrical systems, and helping to design and model various hardware components in Solidworks was done. The largest

responsibility expected of interns was aiding in the moving and testing of 10+ customized sounding rocket payloads,

through various test articles outlined below.

Sounding Rocket Flight Qualification Testing Concepts Static and Dynamic Balance Testing • During launch and takeoff, the launch vehicle spins in a counter-clockwise direction at a frequency between

two to five hertz, in order to maintain balance stability and directional accuracy during launch. Payloads must

be balanced beforehand in order for ACS and flight dynamic guidance to be maintained and ensure flight

mission assurance. Payload is place on a spin table with lead weights added on to pre-determined planes.

Sine and Random Vibration Testing • In order to ensure payload durability during flight, the payload and components of the payload, need to be

tested beforehand on vibration machines. The payload is plugged into ground support equipment and then

vibrated with sine or random profiles. If no mechanical systems fail and ground support reads steadily and

reliably, the payload passes. Tests are usually over-simulated and natural frequencies may affect testing.

Bend Testing • During flight, the payload is subjected to multiple high intensity bending moments, friction, compression and

tension forces. In order to ensure durability and mission assurance, V-Band joints are measured for

compliance. Testing consists of setting up dial indicators and bending by pushing and pulling via pneumatic

piston and measured by a load cell.

Mass Property Measurements Testing • In order for ACS to perform properly, and flight performance predictions to be accurate, several mass

property measurements are needed, including pitch, roll and center of gravity of the payload. In order to do

so, each component and flight/launch configuration are needed to be measured for the Flight Performance

Department to ensure mission assurance during flight, as well as for ACS engineering. Each configuration of

the rocket is placed on a floating table with bearings that measure forces and moments for each configuration.

Operational Spin and Deployment Testing

• During or near apogee, the payload’s scientific objective usually occurs, which involves deployment of sub-

payloads/doors, science booms, nosecones and other devices. In order to ensure flight performance, testing

is done to ensure that pyrotechnics fire, releasing mechanisms without fail.

Magnetic Calibration Testing

• When the payload is guided to the correct trajectory or scientific instruments are determined by the Earth’s

magnetic field, the magnetometer of the payload must be calibrated using a specialized structure in order to

null out all other magnetic materials of the payload.

Ogive Recovery System Assembly The O-give Recovery System

Assembly (ORSA), which includes a

parachute, is housed in the nosecone.

Experiments/Instruments

Provided by the researcher,

often from a University or

Government agency, to

collect data on the target

Attitude Control Systems (ACS)

Small jets expel gas to rotate the

payload in the desired direction. All

three axes, pitch, yaw and roll are

controlled.

Telemetry System

The TM transmits science

and vehicle data to a ground

station.

S19 Boost Guidance System

Most telescope payloads are launched

from sites with land impact areas and

are recoverable.

Aft Transition Section The aft transition section is

used to mate two sections of

different diameters.

Table 1. Description of the main components of Sounding Rockets.

Figure 1. Model of a Black Brant IX Sounding Rocket



Centrifugal Testing • Electronics and other payload components are tested using a medium size centrifuge. The centrifuge spins

for various RPMs for certain time intervals while the component is monitored to ensure flight durability.

Corona Testing • Corona testing is done to verify transmitters and other electronics do not experience electrical arcing, or

coronal events, when they pass through the coronal region, typically 80,000 to 120,000 feet.

The goal for the duration of this co-op rotation was to help integrate and test sounding rockets and other various

types of space hardware in a safe and effective manner. Other objectives include helping the Mechanical Engineering

Department with various CAD and modeling projects.

II. Evaluation In comparison to the job description and my expectations at OSC, I was pleased. I expected to be able to;

Develop understandings of sounding rocket integration and testing timelines.

Aid in the design and modeling of hardware components for the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Develop an understanding of hardware manufacturing and assembly.

Develop a broad understanding of sounding rocket payload systems.

Sounding rocket integration and testing timeline development.

All of my goals have been met, besides being a contributor to a publication while on co-op; this may happen later

on. My mentor and all of the staff at Orbital and other contracting companies and organizations were very friendly

and accepting. I did not have many problems with people there. In addition to this, my colleagues that I share

laboratory and testing space with, have been very helpful in answering my questions and helping me to understand

certain rules and concepts. They have all given me suggestions on how to do things differently to improve my skills

as well as given me conceptual advice on what could be done more effectively while running tests and other concepts

in the Testing and Environmental Engineering Lab.

T&E Engineering Section Concepts

• Knowledgeable w/ various tools/machines

• Construction and basic ME fundamentals

• Vibration, Bend, and Balance test analysis

• Critical Lift Operations experience

• Fixture Installation

Software

• Solidworks 2014

• Adept for Solidworks

Mechanical Engineering Concepts

• Solidworks Modeling skills

• Solidworks Drawings and drafting

• Work document compilation

• Data mining for launch log book

Miscellaneous Concepts

• Electrical Engineering walk down

• Altitude Control System walk down

• Machine Shop walk down

No patents or honors/rewards were received. Various presentations may represent my work in the

future. Hardware will be in outer space though! Rensselaer’s Co-op Program has been very insightful

and has been a great learning experience. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to go on co-op.

My only comment to make the co-op program better would be to have the monthly emails sent out on

time at the beginning of the month. I cannot think of

anything different.

Overall, my experience at Orbital Sciences

Corporation and NASA has been very interesting and

useful to my future. I have never thought that I would

be able to have a clear understanding of rockets or

launch vehicles work, or the basic process behind how

they are made and integrated. In addition to gaining an

understanding of the process, I’ve been able to help

accomplish important objectives with my colleagues

including successfully sending a couple of the rockets

that I worked on into space. Figure 2. Conde 52.001

after Deployment Testing Figure 3. Mechanical Technician and T&E Intern

unscrewing a Radax joint on Collins 46.009.

Orbital Report

Documents

Transcript of Orbital Report