Challenges of the instrumentation for high speed entry vehicles

Abstract

In order to achieve a low cost access to space while keeping the reliability at a high level, the design cycle duration has to be reduced and the service and refurbishment of the space vehicle have to be simplified. Design tools like CFD or structural codes are to be improved with respect to physical modelling using accurate data from ground testing or flight experiments. Although ground testing facilities still provide the main validation data and allow a better understanding of the physics, a complete duplication of the flight conditions is mostly not possible. Flight experiments are the only way to obtain validation data for design or prediction tools under real conditions. On the other hand during flight experiments only coupled information can be gained and therefore a parametric study is not possible. Therefore a further use of ground testing facilities and CFD simulations for post flight analysis is essential to interpret the flight data correctly.