From kd6nrp@earthlink.net  Thu Apr  1 04:14:43 2004
From: kd6nrp@earthlink.net (Brian Webb)
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 20:14:43 -0800
Subject: [Launch Alert] Launch Alert Monthly Password Reminder
Message-ID: <ILEIKIDGMILNBLGDAFBMOEAKDJAA.kd6nrp@earthlink.net>

Hi All:

In a few hours the Launch Alert server should automatically send out a
monthly reminder of your password and a request for donations from the
person who runs the mailing list server.

Please save the monthly reminder - it has your password. Since these monthly
reminders appear to annoy people, I will set the server to stop sending
these monthly messages.

Before I go: The Vandenberg AFB launch schedule has undergone more changes.
The next launch will be Delta II/Gravity Probe B on April 17th.

Last Saturday I was at Edwards AFB covering the X-43 flight and had the
chance to talk to two Launch Alert subscribers. Bill H. and Brian P. are
accomplished air and space photographers and very knowledgeable. The
B-52/X-43 takeoff was impressive (see the photo at www.spacearchive.info)
and the flight turned out well. I also had the opportunity to go into a
hanger and see the next X-43. I was suprised at the size of the scramjet
engine - it's only about the size of a telephone directory. Seeing an actual
X-43 was very interesting.

Regards,

Brian Webb


From kd6nrp@earthlink.net  Sat Apr  3 04:48:43 2004
From: kd6nrp@earthlink.net (Brian Webb)
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 20:48:43 -0800
Subject: [Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule
Message-ID: <ILEIKIDGMILNBLGDAFBMEECNDJAA.kd6nrp@earthlink.net>

			           Brian Webb
		          Ventura County, California
		         E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				               2004 April 2 (Friday) 20:40 PST
----------------------------------------------------------------------

                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
			      As of 2004 March 31

                    Launch
                  Time/Window
  Date             (PST/PDT)         Vehicle          Pad/Silo
----------		-----------		----------		--------

APR 17		10:09:12		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's Gravity Probe B satellite. In the event of a
postponement, launch time occurs 4 minutes earlier each day

Late APR?		Late morning	Taurus		SLC-576E
Payload is Taiwan's ROCSAT-2 satellite. The launch window is
approximate

Late APR?		01:01-07:01		Minuteman III	LF-09
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one warhead (probably a
Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. Postponed following two unsuccessful launch attempts
on March 24th. Glory Trip 184GM

JUN			Unannounced		Minuteman III	LF-10
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads (probably Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at
Kwajalein in the central Pacific. Glory Trip 185GM

JUN 17		03:01:48		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's AURA scientific satellite

JUL			Unannounced		Peacekeeper		LF-02
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is unarmed warheads (probably
Mk-21). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. Glory Trip 33PA?

AUG-SEP		10:00-13:00		Falcon I		SLC-3W
Payload is the Naval Research Laboratory's TacSat-1 satellite. The
launch window is fixed and does not change if the launch date changes.

SEP			Unannounced		Minuteman III	LF-04
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads (probably Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at
Kwajalein in the central Pacific. Glory Trip 185GM?

SEP 15		~03:00?		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NOAA N environmental satellite

----------------------------------------------------------------------

	         Southern California Astronomical Events
			          for 2004 April

		  Time
  Date	(PST/PDT)              Event
--------	---------	-----------------------------

APR 4		01:06		Jupiter Dual Shadow Transit
The shadows of two of Jupiter's moons are visible on planet's disk.

APR 4		02:00		Time Change
Daylight Savings Time begins. Set clocks ahead one hour

APR 5		04:03		Full Moon
Moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise and is visible all night

APR 5		21:54		Jupiter Dual Shadow Transit
The shadows of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa are visible on planet's
disk.

APR 11	20:46		Last Quarter Moon
Moon rises at midnight and sets at noon

APR 13	00:31		Jupiter Dual Shadow Transit
The shadows of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa are visible on planet's
disk.

APR 16	18:00		Mercury Inferior Conjunction
Mercury passes between the Eartn and the Sun and is lost in the Sun's
glare.

APR 17-18	---		Dark Sky Weekend
Best time this month to observe faint objects. Amateur astronomers
will hold observing sessions from dark sites

APR 19	06:21		New Moon
Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and is invisible. Moon rises
at sunrise and sets at sunset

APR 20	01:08		Jupiter Dual Shadow Transit
The shadows of two of Jupiter's moons are visible on planet's disk.

APR 24	23:00		Lunar Conjunction
The Moon passes 5° north of Saturn.

APR 27	03:34		Jupiter Dual Satellite Transit
Two of Jupiter's moons simultaneously pass in front of the planet's
disk.

APR 27	10:32		First Quarter Moon
Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight

APR 29	19:00		Lunar Conjunction
The Moon passes 4° north of Jupiter.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

           NASA's X-43A PROVES HYPERSONIC SCRAMJET FLIGHT
                          NASA News Release
                             2004 MAR 27

NASA's second X-43A hypersonic research aircraft flew successfully
today, the first time an airbreathing scramjet powered aircraft has
flown freely.

The unpiloted vehicle's supersonic combustion ramjet, or scramjet,
ignited as planned and operated for the duration of its hydrogen fuel
supply, which lasted about 10 seconds. The X-43A reached its test
speed of Mach 7.

"It's been a great, record-breaking day," said Larry Huebner, NASA
Langley Research Center's Hyper-X propulsion lead. "We achieved
positive acceleration of the vehicle while we were climbing, and
maintained outstanding vehicle control. This was a world-record speed
for air-breathing flight," Huebner said.

The flight, originating from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center,
began at 12:40 p.m. PST, as NASA's B-52B launch aircraft carrying the
X-43A lifted off the runway. The X-43A, mounted on a modified Pegasus
booster rocket, was launched from the B-52B just before 2 p.m. The
rocket boosted the X-43A up to its test altitude of about 95,000 ft.
over the Pacific Ocean, where the X-43A separated from the booster
and flew freely for several minutes following scramjet engine
operation, in order to gather aerodynamic data.

"Today was a grand-slam in the bottom of the 12th," said Joel Sitz,
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's X-43A project manager. "It was
fun all the way to Mach 7. We separated the research vehicle from the
launch vehicle, as well as separating the real from the imagined,"
Sitz said.

NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., and Dryden Flight
Research Center, Edwards, Calif., jointly conduct the Hyper-X
program.  ATK GASL (formerly MicroCraft, Inc.) in Tullahoma, Tenn.,
built both the vehicle and the engine, and Boeing Phantom Works in
Huntington Beach, Calif., designed the thermal protection and onboard
systems. The booster is a modified Pegasus rocket built by Orbital
Sciences Corp. Chandler, Ariz.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

                      X-43 LAUNCH OBSERVATIONS

Three Launch Alert readers reported seeing last Saturday's X-43 test.
Their accounts are reprinted below.

                              Jay McKee

Aviation enthusiast Jay McKee observed from a site 500 feet above the
coast on the Los Angeles County - Ventura County line.

McKee reports "At 1:40pm PST I spotted the contrails of the bomber and
the two chase aircraft. One long double-contrail coming directly
toward me out to the Southwest flanked on both sides by smaller,
shorter contrails. The B-52 was leaving a contrail several miles long
while the chase aircraft maybe only 1/2 mile long each.

The haze was such that the aircraft didn't contrast well enough for me
to see them. All I was able to see were the contrails. The formation
began a wide left turn of about 210 degrees and rolled out on a
westerly heading. As the aircraft were moving directly away from me I
noticed the aircraft/contrail on the starboard side of the formation
diverge away from the formation and hold the "new" distance. With the
formation moving away from me left to right I could only hope that the
launch would occur before I lost sight of the formation in the haze.
Sitting on the car with my elbows braced on the window frame to steady
my binoculars, I concentrated on the head of the contrails as long as
I could. The formation continued on the westerly heading for several
minutes.

When the formation was quite a ways away from me (estimate ~100 miles)
I thought I saw a contrail on a ballistic arc falling away from the
formation. I'm not sure if this was real event or a product of
eyestrain and imagination. A few seconds later I was rewarded with a
contrail climbing up and away from the formation on what looked like a
45 degree angle. The contrail continued straight at that angle and
moved up into clearer air easing my ability to see and track its
climb. I estimate the constant-angle climb was 15 to 20 seconds. After
the straight climb the contrail appeared to arc over on what looked
like a ballistic trajectory. When the contrail reached level flight it
ended. Soon after that the contrail from the bomber/chase formation
disappeared into the haze."

                           Bixler McClure

"I was at the Channel Islands Harbor, just south of Ventura.  In a
northerly direction I saw several contrails, obviously 2 smaller escort
jets and the B-52. They proceeded on a Southerly course and then
started looping back north. It was difficult to see, but I think
around this time I spotted a separate contrail arching upwards. The
planes continued looping back. About half an hour later I saw what I
think was a small fighter jet heading on an south/southeasterly
course."

                              Julian N.

"...I watched it on NASA TV. From my deck in Santa Barbara I could
easily see the contrails from the B-52 and the two chase jets. A little
later I could easily see the smoke plume from the Pegasus low in the
SW."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2004 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. No part of this
newsletter may be republished without permission.


From kd6nrp@earthlink.net  Fri Apr  9 04:01:36 2004
From: kd6nrp@earthlink.net (Brian Webb)
Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2004 20:01:36 -0700
Subject: [Launch Alert] Vandenberg Launch Delayed
Message-ID: <ILEIKIDGMILNBLGDAFBMIEGGDJAA.kd6nrp@earthlink.net>

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			           Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		        E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				             2004 April 8 (Thursday) 19:53 PDT
----------------------------------------------------------------------

                   NEXT VANDENBERG LAUNCH DELAYED

The launch date for NASA's Gravity Probe B has been postponed two
days to April 19th. A Delta II rocket carrying the satellite is
slated for a morning launch from Vandenberg at 10:01 PDT.

The launch was postponed due to a launch pad ground support equipment
problem.

This information is courtesy of the Gravity Probe B team.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

        NASA's X-43A FLIGHT RESULTS IN TREASURE TROVE OF DATA
                          NASA News Release

NASA's extremely successful X-43A hypersonic research aircraft flight
of March 27, 2004, resulted in a treasure trove of the first actual
scramjet flight data ever obtained.

The initial data review of the flight was conducted on March 31,
confirming that high-fidelity flight data was obtained throughout the
vehicle's boost, stage separation and descent to splash down in the
Pacific Ocean.

"The data clearly shows, and without question, that scramjets work,"
said Griff Corpening, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's X-43A
chief engineer. "But we did see a couple of areas that differed from
what was seen in the wind tunnels, thus reinforcing the need for
flight testing," Corpening said.

Two very significant aviation milestones occurred on this joint
effort by NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Dryden, and their
industry partners: First, controlled accelerating flight at Mach 7
under scramjet power, and second, the successful stage separation at
high dynamic pressure of two non-axisymmetric vehicles. This was the
first time an airbreathing scramjet-powered aircraft has flown freely.

As icing on the cake that capped the mission's success, the flight
resulted in the setting of a new aeronautical speed record. The X-43A
reached a speed of over Mach 7, or about 5,000 mph, faster than any
known aircraft powered by an airbreathing engine has ever flown.

"We flew very closely to how we predicted we would fly in terms of
Mach, dynamic pressure, vehicle angle of attack, vehicle yaw, and
vehicle roll," Corpening said.

The March 27 flight, originating from NASA's Dryden Flight Research
Center, began with NASA's B-52B launch aircraft carrying the X-43A
out to the test range over the Pacific Ocean off the California
coast. The X-43A was boosted up to its test altitude of about 95,000
ft., where it separated from its modified Pegasus booster and flew
freely under its own power.

Planning is underway for the next flight, currently scheduled for
this fall. The recent flight success allows engineers to zero in on
where to focus their attention, allowing the Hyper-X team to move
more quickly and with more confidence in preparing for the Mach 10
flight, Corpening added.

NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., and Dryden Flight
Research Center, Edwards, Calif., jointly conduct the Hyper-X
program. ATK GASL (formerly MicroCraft, Inc.) in Tullahoma, Tenn.,
built both the vehicle and the engine, and Boeing Phantom Works in
Huntington Beach, Calif., designed the thermal protection and onboard
systems. The booster is a modified Pegasus rocket built by Orbital
Sciences Corp. Chandler, Ariz.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

           NASA'S AURA SATELLITE DELIVERED TO LAUNCH SITE
                          NASA News Release

NASA's Aura spacecraft, the latest in the Earth Observing System (EOS)
series, arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., to begin launch
preparations.

Packed in a special shipping container, Aura was transported from
Northrop Grumman's Space Park manufacturing facility in Redondo Beach,
Calif. The spacecraft will undergo final tests and integration with a
Delta II rocket for launch in June.

Aura's four state-of-the-art instruments will study the atmosphere's
chemistry and dynamics. The spacecraft will provide data to help
scientists better understand the Earth's ozone, air quality and
climate change.

"The entire Aura team is very excited to see all our efforts come to
fruition and is looking forward to a successful launch," said Rick
Pickering, Aura Project Manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Md.

Aura fulfills part of NASA's commitment to study the Earth as a global
system and represents a key agency contribution to the U.S. Global
Change Research Program. This mission will continue the global data
collection underway by NASA's other EOS satellites, Terra, which
monitors land, and Aqua, which observes Earth's water cycle.

The Aura spacecraft is part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, a
long-term research effort to determine how human-induced and natural
changes affect global environment.

For more information about Aura on the Internet, visit:

    http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov

----------------------------------------------------------------------

                          WEB SITE UPDATES

The following updates were made to my Space Archive web site
(www.spacearchive.info) during the past few weeks:

Minuteman III Launch Photos

A series of photos of the spectacular 2002 September Minuteman III
launch were posted at:

     http://www.spacearchive.info/minuteman-gt-180gm.htm

Audio Files

The following audio files were added to the File Library
(www.spacearchive.info/library.htm):

     bv-5.mp3

     minuteman-gt-184gm.mp3

     x-43a-flight-2-story.mp3

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2004 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
be distributed in its entirety without restriction. Excerpts may be
reprinted elsewhere without permission if the source is clearly
identified as follows:

  Reprinted from Launch Alert (www.spacearchive.info/newsletter.htm)


From kd6nrp@earthlink.net  Sun Apr 18 16:27:50 2004
From: kd6nrp@earthlink.net (Brian Webb)
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 08:27:50 -0700
Subject: [Launch Alert] Monday Vandenberg Launch
Message-ID: <ILEIKIDGMILNBLGDAFBMEEMADJAA.kd6nrp@earthlink.net>

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			            Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		        E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				              2004 April 18 (Sunday) 08:13 PDT
----------------------------------------------------------------------

                      MONDAY VANDENBERG LAUNCH

A Delta II booster carrying NASA's Gravity Probe B scientific
satellite is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg AFB tomorrow
morning. The Delta is set to lift-off from Vandenberg at 10:01:20 PDT,
the start of a one-second launch window.

Following lift-off, the Delta II will head southward. Several minutes
later the vehicle will place Gravity Probe B into a polar orbit.
Weather permitting, tomorrow's launch could be visible from Paso
Robles to coastal Orange County.

For further information on this launch and the Gravity Probe B
mission, go to the following locations:

  www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/delta/delta2/gp-b/msn_info.htm

  www.gravityprobeb.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------

			        COUNTDOWN STATUS

The best source of countdown status for the Delta II/Gravity Probe B
launch is the Spaceflight Now web site. Space journalist Justin Ray is
now providing current countdown status on a web page devoted to this
launch. Point your browser to:

  www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d304/status.html

On launch day, this page will be updated frequently beginning at about
T-1 hour. Be sure to regularly hit the refresh button on your browser
to see the latest information.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

		       VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
			       As of 2004 April 18

		  Launch
		Time/Window
  Date	 (PST/PDT)		   Vehicle		Pad/Silo
--------	-----------		-------------	--------

APR 19	10:01:20		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's Gravity Probe B satellite. Launch delayed from April
17th to 19th to troubleshoot an apparent short in launch pad ground
support equipment. Backup launch dates and times are: April 20 09:57,
April 22 09:49, April 23 09:45 PDT

MAY		Late morning	Taurus		SLC-576E
Payload is Taiwan's ROCSAT-2 satellite

JUN?		01:01-07:01		Minuteman III	LF-09
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one warhead (probably a
Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. Postponed following two unsuccessful launch attempts
on March 24th. Vehicle may be launched separately or launched during
the same window as the Minuteman III scheduled for June 9th. Glory
Trip 184GM

JUN 9		01:01-07:01		Minuteman III	LF-10
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads (probably Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at
Kwajalein in the central Pacific. Glory Trip 185GM

JUN 17	03:01:48		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NASA's AURA scientific satellite

JUL 21	01:01-07:01		Peacekeeper		LF-02
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is unarmed warheads (probably
Mk-21). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the
central Pacific. Glory Trip 33PA?

AUG-SEP	10:00-13:00		Falcon I		SLC-3W
Payload is the Naval Research Laboratory's TacSat-1 satellite. The
launch window is fixed and does not change if the launch date changes.

SEP 15	01:01-07:01		Minuteman III	LF-04
ICBM test launch (non-orbital). Payload is one or more unarmed
warheads (probably Mk-12). Impact area is in the Reagan Test Site at
Kwajalein in the central Pacific. Glory Trip 185GM?

SEP 18	~03:22		Delta II		SLC-2W
Payload is NOAA N environmental satellite. Launch time is based on
informed speculation

OCT 18	Unannounced		Pegasus XL		Offshore
Payload is DART satellite

----------------------------------------------------------------------

                              ON THE WEB

Launch Alert reader Jason Hatton imaged last month's rare triple jovian
transit shadow transit. His superb images were used to create a movie
of the event. The animation is posted at:

   www.skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1241_1.asp

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2004 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
be distributed in its entirety without restriction. Excerpts may be
reprinted elsewhere without permission if the source is clearly
identified as follows:

  Reprinted from Launch Alert (www.spacearchive.info/newsletter.htm)


From kd6nrp@earthlink.net  Sun Apr 18 23:23:56 2004
From: kd6nrp@earthlink.net (Brian Webb)
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 15:23:56 -0700
Subject: [Launch Alert] Monday Vandenberg Launch
In-Reply-To: <20040418195120.6754.qmail@web80206.mail.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <ILEIKIDGMILNBLGDAFBMIEMDDJAA.kd6nrp@earthlink.net>

Hi Mark:

Since the Delta II/Gravity Probe B is a daytime launch, the visibility will
be limited to locations along the coast. Off hand, I can't provide any
altitude and azimuth data, but from Thousand Oaks in Ventura County the
Delta II will probably attain a maximum elevation during launch of about 20
degrees. Of course, it will be considerably lower from your location since
you're inland.

Another problem is atmospheric transparency. The forecast call for a lot of
moisture in the atmosphere at launch time. Even if there aren't many clouds,
moisture limits the maximum launch visibility.

Atmospheric moisture could also cause problems for the launch team. The
weather forecast issued at 09:00 PDT this morning calls for 60% probability
of acceptable weather. They're worried about the moisture spawning cumulus
clouds (I assume the real concern is over the possibility of electrostatic
discharge as the Delta climbs through the clouds).

Regard,

Brian Webb
www.spacearchive.info

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hanning-Lee [mailto:markhl@prodigy.net]
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 12:51 PM
To: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Launch Alert] Monday Vandenberg Launch


At that time I will be at work in Hamilton Sundstrand
in Pomona CA, www.hssensorsystems.com . (Contractors
supplying parts for ISS, building the NASA OCO.)

What do you estimate as the max. elevation and azimuth
please? You could even cross-post to SeeSat-L.

Thanks, Mark

--- Brian Webb <kd6nrp@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>                              LAUNCH ALERT
>
> 			            Brian Webb
> 		         Ventura County, California
> 		        E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
> 	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info
>
> 				              2004 April 18 (Sunday) 08:13 PDT
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>                       MONDAY VANDENBERG LAUNCH
>
> A Delta II booster carrying NASA's Gravity Probe B
> scientific
> satellite is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg
> AFB tomorrow
> morning. The Delta is set to lift-off from
> Vandenberg at 10:01:20 PDT,
> the start of a one-second launch window.
>
> Following lift-off, the Delta II will head
> southward. Several minutes
> later the vehicle will place Gravity Probe B into a
> polar orbit.
> Weather permitting, tomorrow's launch could be
> visible from Paso
> Robles to coastal Orange County.


From kd6nrp@earthlink.net  Tue Apr 20 00:36:19 2004
From: kd6nrp@earthlink.net (Brian Webb)
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 16:36:19 -0700
Subject: [Launch Alert] Launch Delayed
Message-ID: <ILEIKIDGMILNBLGDAFBMKENKDJAA.kd6nrp@earthlink.net>

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			            Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		         E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
	          Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				              2004 April 19 (Monday) 16:31 PDT
----------------------------------------------------------------------

          BOEING DELTA II LAUNCH OF NASA SATELLITE SCRUBBED
                         Boeing News Release

ST. LOUIS, April 19, 2004 — Today’s launch of a Boeing [NYSE: BA]
Delta II rocket carrying the NASA Gravity Probe B satellite from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., has been scrubbed for 24 hours.

Boeing and NASA officials halted the countdown approximately three
minutes before liftoff after it was determined that there was
insufficient time to confirm that the correct wind profile data had
been loaded aboard the Delta II based on a weather balloon that was
monitoring upper level winds.

The launch team will attempt to launch again tomorrow at an
instantaneous window of 9:57:24 a.m. PDT.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

            FIRST AEROSPIKE ENGINE FLIGHT TEST SUCCESSFUL
                          NASA News Release

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, the U.S. Air Force Flight Test
Center (AFFTC), and Blacksky Corporation joined forces on the prairie
lands of West Texas recently to fly small aerospike rocket nozzles.

The effort, called the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test, yielded big
returns, providing the first known data from a solid-fueled aerospike
rocket in flight.

Two 10-ft. long solid-fueled rockets with aerospike nozzles were flown
successfully on two consecutive flights March 30 and 31, 2004. Under
perfect skies and calm winds, the rockets ascended from the King Ranch
launch site at the Pecos County Aerospace Development Corporation
Flight Test Range in Fort Stockton, Texas.

"The success of the Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test project opens up a
whole new way of obtaining flight research data for not only the
aerospike nozzles but for other rocket technologies as well, such as
dual-bell nozzles," said NASA Dryden's Trong Bui, the project's
principal investigator. "This inexpensive, high-speed flight research
platform allows us to take new ideas to flight quickly and at the same
time, increases the technology readiness level of new aerospace
concepts," Bui said.

Aerospike nozzles can be thought of as inside-out rocket nozzles.
Rather than the rocket engine's exhaust plume exiting out the
traditional bell-shaped nozzle, the plume travels externally. The main
advantage of aerospike nozzles is that, as the rocket climbs,
atmospheric and airstream pressure act on the plume to keep it at an
optimum setting along the entire trajectory. This allows very
efficient engine performance in flight. With traditional rocket
engines, the bell nozzle is most efficient at only one point in the
rocket's trajectory.

Although the advantages of the aerospike nozzles are well understood
through analysis and ground test data, the lack of actual flight test
data has precluded use of these nozzles in current as well as next
generation space launch vehicles. In addition, the configuration of
an aerospike nozzle presents unique challenges to the designer and
fabricator.

The rockets reached supersonic speeds in excess of Mach 1.5 and peak
altitudes of over 26,000 ft. However, speed and altitude weren't the
project's aim. The goals of this flight research project were to
obtain aerospike rocket nozzle performance data in flight and to
investigate the effects of transonic flow and transient rocket flight
conditions on aerospike nozzle performance.

"The successful planning and integration of the Dryden Aerospike
Rocket Test project clearly demonstrates the capability of the
low-cost technology approach used," said Scott Bartel of Blacksky
Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., which built the rockets. "The flight
operations support from the Tripoli Rocketry Association and Fort
Stockton shows that enthusiasm for aerospace research is universal,"
Bartel said.

Blacksky Corp. coordinated development of the experimental aerospike
nozzles and solid propellant motors used in the tests with Cesaroni
Technology Inc., of Ontario, Canada. Cesaroni provided key support
to the project with the rapid design and development of both
aerospike nozzles, as well as the custom solid propellant rocket
motors. The configuration of these aerospike nozzles presented unique
design and fabrication challenges for Cesaroni.

"For many years NASA Dryden has built small radio controlled and
remotely-piloted research models flown at subsonic speeds to explore
new concepts such as lifting bodies, parafoil landing systems, and
the testing of hypersonic shapes for landing feasibility," said Chuck
Rogers, AFFTC project investigator. "With the demonstration of this
rocket flight test technique these models can now be tested at
transonic and supersonic flight conditions at very low cost," Rogers
said.

"We are very excited to have been part of the Dryden Aerospike Rocket
Test, and hope that the data collected during the flights at the
Pecos County Aerospace Development Center will further the
development of the aerospike rocket motor," said George Riggs,
president of the Pecos County/West Texas Aerospace Development Corp.
"Pecos County looks forward to continued relations with NASA Dryden,
Blacksky Corp. and Cesaroni Technology Inc. as the aerospike project
moves forward," Riggs said.

NASA Dryden funded the project and instrumented the rockets. Dryden,
together with the AFFTC, developed the project's flight test concept,
worked the conceptual design of the aerospikes, and are analyzing the
flight data. NASA Dryden and the AFFTC are co-located on Edwards AFB,
Calif.

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Copyright © 2004 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
be distributed in its entirety without restriction. Excerpts may be
reprinted elsewhere without permission if the source is clearly
identified as follows:

  Reprinted from Launch Alert (www.spacearchive.info/newsletter.htm)


