DOCUMENT RESUME VT 014 596 ED 058 455 Introduction to Exploring in Aerospace Rocketry. An TITLE the Fundamentals of Rocketry. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, INSTITUTION Cleveland, Ohio. Lewis Research Center. NASA-EP-88 REPORT NO PUB DATE 71 366p. NOTE Government Printing Superintendent of Documents, U.S.. AVAILABLE FROM 3300-0394; Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (Stock No. NAS1.19:88, $3.25) MF-$0.65 HC-$13.16 EDRS PRICE Technology; Aerospace Industry; *Aerospace DESCRIPTORS *Industrial *Curriculum Guides; Illustrations; Occupational Education; Instructional Materials; Guidance; *Resource Materials; *Textbooks *Rocketry IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT of lectures This curriculum guide is based on 2 years special-interest aerospace program and projects of a contemporary, uses technical for promising students, ages 15-19. The program trips to introduce students to lectures, project activities and field achievement, and the real engineering world of pioneering aerospace involves. This book can be used the variety of skills and careers it and for high school and college teachers, as a curriculum resource writers. curriculum committees and textbook may be helpful to selected chapters to enrich Teachers in various disciplines can use including applied mathematics, or supplement regular courses, modification, some of the physics, chemistry and biology. With and vocational education material could be useful industrial arts supplemented with numerous courses. The 22 chapters are line drawings. A related illustrations, photographs, charts, and document is available as VT 014 597. (CD) t11 SCOPE OF INTEREST NOTICE 1.11 The ERIC Facility has assigned ttoh:is document for processing .1. ....1. S:..., ' .0 r 1 In our judgement, this document Lt1 . ,...,....., is also of interest to tF,e clearing. 4. ....... houses noted to the right. Index. '':.1,;),I Cs) (1 0 ri ing should reflect their special points of view, SURPI EX ING IN AEROSPACE ROCKETRY An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Rocketry cr) NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION c..) 1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- LC1 DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG- INATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN- IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY tin REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU- CATION POSITION OR POLICY. EXPLORING IN AEROSPACE ROCKETRY an Introduction to the Fundamentals of Rocketry developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center, Cloveland, Ohio National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. 20546 1971 For sale by tte Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C., 20402 - Price $3.26 Stook Number 3300-0394 PREFACE "Exploring in Aerospace Rocketry" is an educational publication based on the lec- tures and projects conducted during 2 years of the NASA-Lewis Aerospace Explorer pro- gram. (A similar publication, titled "Exploring in Aeronautics" (NASA EP-89), is based This pub- on the activities of 1 year during which the program focused on aeronautics. ) lication is intended not only to provide a basic explanation of some of the fundamentals of rocketry but also to stimulate other government agencies, educational institutions, pri- vate industry, and business to establish career-motivation programs within their own particular fields of activity. The Lewis Aerospace Explorer *program was started in December 1965 by the Di- rector of the NASA-Lewis Research Center. The principal objective of this program is to provide promising students from local schools an opportunity for vocational guidance and motivation for a wide range of technical professions in the aerospace field. Each year, candidates (ages 15 to 19 years) for the program are selected by school officials on the basis of their demonstrated interest and proficiency in mathematics and science. NASA's intent is to take these young people outside the academic classroom and to expose them to the real engineering world of pioneering aerospace achievement. This transposi- tion is made by introducing the youths to the kind of men, skills, thinking, planning, or- ganization, and action necessary for successful mission accomplishment. Focus is on Specifically, NASA is attempting the interdisciplinary character of the aerospace teams. to expose the young people to the great variety of skills and careers that are integrated into and have impact on the general aerospace field. The program format consists of technical lectures (illustrated with slides, motion pictures, demonstrations, etc.), project activities, and field trips. In the lectures, basic physical principles are explained, and unique analytical and experimental tools of the busi- Projects are ness are described. In the project activities, the youths learn by doing. assigned, planned, implemented, and analyzed, and the results are reported in consider- able detail. In effect, the youths are exposed to a realistic "research-and-development" The field trips help the participants to better understand various facets of environment. science and technology. Throughout the program, communication (both oral and written) is highly emphasized. The ability to communicate effectively is an important requirement for almost any career. For realistic exercises in communication, the young people in the program maintain pro- research-and-development con- reports, and conduct ject notebooks, give oral progress ferences, or symposia. interest, active partici- reflected in the attendance, The success of the program is complete the people themselves. Most of those who pation, and enthusiasm of the young their choice. We at NASA through college, pursuing careers of program continue on engi- people will choose careers in aerospace hope, of course, that some of these young by arousing the inter- is achieving its objective merely neering. However, the program to explore various career and helping them in a realistic way est of these young people possibilities. is considerable. Many employ- NASA-Lewis employee participation in the program and help them in their sci- sincerely work with the young people ees enthusiastically and aerospace-oriented exposed to a wide range of entific endeavors. Thus, the youths are time and effort scientists, and administrators. The personnel - technicians, engineers, contribution to thefu- NASA employees is their personal donated to the program by these youth and our nation. ture well-being and success of our the authors Explorers are identified herein as Those employees who lectured to the the various pro- also served as associate advisers on of the chapters. These lecturers talent to the program in- who donated their time and ject activities. Other employees William J. Ratvasky, (Explorer Post sponsor); W. G. Mirshak, cluded Dr. Abe Silverstein associate advisers on and Richard S. Williams (all Larry E. Smith, John F. Staggs, representative); John C. Evvard, Bruce R. projects); Harold D. Wharton (institutional W. Weiss (all Maurer, John L. Pollack, and Calvin Leonard, Roger W. Luidens, Roy A. A. Brahms, Committee); Joseph F. Hobzek, Jr., William members of Program-Project (all mem- Manley, and Horace C. Moore, Jr. , Donald A. Kelsey, Clair R. King, L. L. Clifford W. Brooks (photographer for the program bers of Explorer Post Committee); and projects). and associate adviser on James F. Connors Director of Technical Services Post) (Adviser, Lewis Aerospace Explorer INTRODUCTION and perhaps as early as 3000 Rockets have been used for centuries. By 1000 B.C. , display and for use in warfare. As early B. C. , the Chinese had developed rockets for fiction was written about imaginary rocket trips to the as the 2nd century A.D. , science Goddard began a study of the use of rockets Moon. Early in the 20th century, Robert H. foundation for much of our present for reaching extreme altitudes, and his work laid the enough to lift men to the rocket technology. The development of rockets sophisticated attention of people everywhere. The Moon and return them to Earth has captured the therefore, for those who wish to study of the principles of rocketry is quite appropriate, understand the space age. teachers in high schools and This book could be used as a curriculum resource for textbook writers. It It might also be helpful to curriculum committees and colleges. to enrich or supple- discusses many topics which teachers in various disciplines can use laws of physics are evident through- ment their regular courses. Many applications of the abundant. Applications of chem- out the chapters. Examples of applied mathematics are materials, and propellants. Mate- istry will be found in the chapters on thermodynamics, engineering. In general, rial related to biology will be found in the chapter on biomedical of high ability. these applications will be most meaningful with students in rocketry. Teachers The book could be used as the basis for an elective course reading in related literature who are interested in this possibility will want to do some used to reinforce the concepts pre- in order to identify numerical problems which can be sented. sophistication, could be use- Some of the material, if presented at a lower level of Students andadults who are hobby- ful in industrial arts and vocational education courses. to their interests. ists in model rocketry will find much of the book relevant of the companion volume, It is hoped that one outcome of the use of this book, and the interest and imagi- "Exploring in Aeronautics" (NASA EP-89), will be to stimulate interested in following develop- nation of capable students so that many of them will be ments in the rapidly changing aerospace field. CONTENTS Page Chapter iii PREFACE INTRODUCTION 1 AEROSPACE ENVIRONMENT 1 John C. Evvard Earth-Sun relations. Van Atmosphere. Space and planetary environments. Meteoroid hazards. radiation. Allen radiation belts. Solar winds. Thermal Solar flares. 29 PROPULSION FUNDAMENTALS 2 . James F. Connors Acceleration). Newton's Newton's Second Law of Motion (Force = Mass x Momentum. Exhaust Thrust. Third Law of Motion (Action = Reaction). Nozzle flow and thrust performance. Specific impulse. velocity. 45 PERFORMANCE . CALCULATION OF ROCKET VERTICAL-FLIGHT . 3 John C. Evvard altitude for powered and Simplified calculation procedure for determining model rockets. coasting vertical flight for single and multistaged 61 TH E RMOD YNA M IC S 4 Marshall C. Burrows Ignition. Injection. 1V/fixing 'and vaporization. Propellant fundamentals. Unstable processes. Combustion. Heat transfer. Methodsid cooling. 79 MATERIALS 5 William D. Klopp fractures in High-temperature throat inserts for 'rocket nozzles. Weld Lightweight, shatterproof fuel tanks. rocket casings. Chapter Page SOLID-PROPELLANT ROCKET SYSTEMS 6 95 Joseph F. McBride Propellant grain types and designs. Motor cases. History. Ignition de- vices. Steering control. Nozzles. LIQUID-PROPELLANT ROCKET SYSTEMS 111 E. William Conrad Propellants. Tankage. Pumps. Drives. Coolant systems. Injectors. Combustion chambers. Nozzles. Associated plumbing. ZERO-GRAVITY EFFECTS 127 8 William J. Masica Effects of gravity on fluid dynamical behavior in tanks of liquid rocket sys- Heat transfer. tems. Surface tension. Vipor-liquid interface. Zero- gravity facilities. ROCKET TRAJECTORIES, DRAG, AND STABILITY 9 143 Roger W. Luidens Powered, coasting, and parachute trajectories. Static stability. Drag. Centers of pressure and gravity of model rockets. Orbital and escape velocities. 10 SPACE MISSIONS 161 Richard J. Weber Requirements for manned and unmanned missions. Sounding rockets. Planetary flyby missions. Planetary landing modules. LAUNCH VEHICLES 11 171 Arthur V. ZimMerman Systems. Launch sites. Booster and upper stakes. Vehicle performance. Staging requirements. NASA launch vehicles ani their lifting capabilities. Page Chapter 187 INERTIAL GUIDANCE SYSTEMS 12 Daniel J. Shramo Gyroscopic drift. Inertial navigation system. Gyroscope. Navigation. Accelerometers. 209 TRACKING 13 John L. Pollack Instruments. Tri- Observations and measurements from ground stations. Altitude and range determinations, Range layout. angulation. 225 ROCKET LAUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY 14 William A. Bowles Photographic The camera as a documentation and flight recording tool. techniques. Optical instrumentation. 237 ROCKET MEASUREMENTS AND INSTRUMENTATION 15 Clarence C. Gettelman Rocket performance variables expressed in terms of measurable quantities. Measurement of force, pressure, temperature, and volume flow rate. 249 ELEMENTS OF COMPUTERS 16 Robert L. Miller Machine lan- Principles of analog and digital computers. Applications. Storage and memory systems. Programming. Illustrations guage - logic. of representative facilities. 261 ROCKET TESTING AND EVALUATION IN GROUND FACILITIES 17 John H. Povolny Static firings. Thermal-vacuum testing of systems and Test facilities. Reliability and quality assurance. components. Structural dynamics. Page Chapter 281 LAUNCH OPERATIONS 18 Maynard I. Weston Scheduling. Range safety requirements. Pro- Teamwork. Communications. cedures. Operations, Global tracking networks. 301 NUCLEAR ROCKETS 19 A. F. Lietzke concepts. Specific im- Fission heating of hydrogen. Reactor Principles. chemical rockets. pulse potential. Comparisons with 313 ELECTRIC PROPULSION 20 Harold Kaufman methods. Electrostatic acceleration. Propulsion principles. Ionization of high-specific-impulse Continuous-low-thrust missions. Comparison require- nuclear rocket systems. Power electric engines with chemical and ments. 333 BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 21 Kirby W. Hiller of biology and technology applied to the fields Engineering principles and and biological diagnostics, treatment, prosthetics, medicine in the areas of human circulatory system. research. Physiology of the 355 PROJECTS IN ROCKETRY 22 James F. Connors model-rocket launch operations, Projects in propulsion, electronics, and tracking. aerodynamics, payloads and recovery,