Designing Flight Experiments for Hypersonic Flow Physics

Abstract

A major problem of concen for the success of physical-modelling resides in the availability of experimental data for model validation, particularly in the hot hypersonic regime. In the past, validation data have been achieved as secondary product of expensive space-transportation programs. Since in the last ten years there has been almost no successfull program due to lack of investment, no new experimental data are available. According, a new trend is emerging for low cost technology validation in flight based on the use of old military rockets. Here it is described the possibilities of sounding rockets to provide a platform for flight experiments in hypersonic conditions as cost-efficient supplement of tests in ground based facilities. The lecture regards the overall philosophy of projects flown on sounding rockets, but mainly the current efforts of DLR on the SHarp Edge Flight EXperiment SHEFEX. The approaches adopted on each of the involved disciplines, i.e. mission system and launcher; aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics and in-flight measurement techniques; structure and thermal protection systems are discussed. The paper is aimed to show that even flying hypersonic is not a routine technology, the strategy proposed is not only a highly efficient way to acquire important knowledge in the physics of hypersonic flows but also an excellent test bed for proving new technological concepts.