NASA Sounding Rockets User Handbook Sounding …

NASA/TP?20230006855

NASA Sounding Rockets User Handbook

Robert H. Burth, Philip G. Cathell, David B. Edwards, Ahmed H. Ghalib, John C. Gsell, Heath C. Hales, Herbert C. Haugh, and Brian R. Tibbetts Peraton Inc., NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VA

May 2023

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NASA/TP?20230006855

NASA Sounding Rockets User Handbook

Robert H. Burth, Philip G. Cathell, David B. Edwards, Ahmed H. Ghalib, John C. Gsell, Heath C. Hales, Herbert C. Haugh, and Brian R. Tibbetts Peraton Inc., NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

May 2023

Trade names and trademarks are used in this report for identification only. Their usage does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Level of Review: This material has been technically reviewed by technical management.

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NASA Sounding Rockets User Handbook Sounding Rockets Program Office

Suborbital and Special Orbital Projects Directorate

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility January 2023

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Preface

This Handbook describes the capabilities of the Sounding Rocket program, the design and technology applications used by that program, and the processes established to integrate the customer (principal investigator/program user/scientist/experimenter) into the mission team to ensure the highest probability of a successful project. Neither the United States Government nor any person acting on the behalf of the Unites States Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of information contained in this document or warrants that the use will be free from privately owned rights. The use of a company name does not imply approval or recommendation of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.

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Table of Contents

Preface .................................................................................................................................... 2 Section 1: The NASA Sounding Rocket Program (NSRP)......................................................... 7

1.1 The Program: 1959 ?Present................................................................................................ 7 1.2 NASA Organizational Responsibilities .................................................................................. 8 1.3 Sounding Rocket Program Customer's Role ......................................................................... 9 1.4 Sounding Rocket Project Support Elements ......................................................................... 9

Section 2: The Sounding Rocket Mission Lifecycle ............................................................... 16

2.1 The Mission Initiation Conference (MIC) ............................................................................ 16 2.2 Requirements Definition Phase ......................................................................................... 18 2.3 The Requirements Definition Meeting (RDM) .................................................................... 19 2.4 Design Phase ..................................................................................................................... 19 2.5 Design Review (DR) ........................................................................................................... 19 2.6 Payload Fabrication and Pre-Integration Testing Phase...................................................... 20 2.7 Pre-Integration Review (PIR).............................................................................................. 20 2.8 Integration and Testing (I&T) Phase ................................................................................... 21 2.9 Mission Readiness Review (MRR) ...................................................................................... 23 2.10 Flight Readiness Review (FRR) ........................................................................................... 23 2.11 Launch Operations Phase .................................................................................................. 23 2.12 Mission Closeout Phase ..................................................................................................... 24

Section 3: Sounding Rocket Launch Vehicles and Performance ........................................... 26

3.1 NASA Mission Designation System..................................................................................... 26 3.2 NASA Sounding Rockets..................................................................................................... 26 3.3 Boost Guidance System (BGS)............................................................................................ 30

Section 4: Sounding Rocket Payload Design Considerations................................................ 32

4.1 Payload Design .................................................................................................................. 32 4.2 Flight Performance ............................................................................................................ 32 4.3 Other Payload Design Considerations ................................................................................ 34

Section 5: Payload Systems................................................................................................. 36

5.1 Telemetry Systems ............................................................................................................ 36 5.2 Attitude Instrument Systems Common to Several ACS's .................................................... 40 5.3 Onboard Sensors and Instruments..................................................................................... 49 5.4 Transmitters ...................................................................................................................... 53

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5.5 Command Uplink Systems ................................................................................................. 53 5.6 Telemetry Antennas .......................................................................................................... 53 5.7 Instrumentation and Experiment Power Systems .............................................................. 54 5.8 Flight Event Timing Systems .............................................................................................. 56 5.9 SWARM ............................................................................................................................. 57 5.10 Trajectory Measurement Systems ..................................................................................... 59 5.11 Mechanical Systems & Mechanisms .................................................................................. 61 5.12 Recovery Systems .............................................................................................................. 65 5.13 Attitude Control Systems (ACSs) ........................................................................................ 66

Section 6: Environmental Testing Policies ........................................................................... 87

6.1 General Requirements....................................................................................................... 87 6.2 Testing Equipment and Capabilities ................................................................................... 88 6.4 Component Testing ......................................................................................................... 103

Section 7: NASA/GSFC/WFF Safety Policy and Responsibilities ......................................... 104

7.1 Safety Policy .................................................................................................................... 105 7.2 The Range Safety Organization ........................................................................................ 106 7.3 Ground Safety Plan (GSP) ................................................................................................ 107 7.4 Flight Safety Plan (FSP) .................................................................................................... 108 7.5 Safety Analysis Report ..................................................................................................... 110

Section 8: Launch Operations............................................................................................ 111

8.1 Launch Ranges................................................................................................................. 111 8.2 Launch Operations........................................................................................................... 113 8.3 Foreign Ranges ................................................................................................................ 114 8.4 Mobile Range Operations ................................................................................................ 116

Section 9: Data Processing and Analysis............................................................................ 119

9.1 Computer Systems........................................................................................................... 119 9.2 Obtaining Data Processing and Analysis Support ............................................................. 121

Section 10: Wallops Flight Facility ................................................................................... 123

10.1 WFF Sounding Rocket Program Support Facilities ............................................................ 125 10.2 Working at Wallops ? Rules, Regulations, and Logistics ................................................... 129 10.3 Foreign Nationals ............................................................................................................ 132

Appendix A: Sounding Rocket Launch Vehicles ................................................................... 133

A.1 Black Brant Launch Vehicle (21.XYZ) ................................................................................ 133 A.2 Improved Orion Launch Vehicle (30.XYZ) ......................................................................... 135

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