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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TES WO ?-41t5

NEW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20546 WO 3W-625

FJR RELEASE: FRIDAY P.M.

April 19, 1968
RELEASE NO: 68-68

REENTRY F EXPERIMENT

A flight experiment in aerodynamic heating at speeds up

to 13,500 miles-per-hour will be launched Apr. 25 by the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration from Wallops

Station, Wallops Island, Va.

Purpose of the experiment, known as Reentry F, is to

measure heat transfer in a slender cone at hypersonic

speeds for comparison with ground studies. Scientists

are unable, even with the best available laboratory facilities,

to simulate all at once complex variables governing aero-

dynamic heating. For that reason flight experiments are

needed to provide a basis for useful ground test results.

The objective is to obtain in flight fundamental research

data on aerodynamic heating and the transition from laminar

(smooth) to turbulent flow in the boundary layer.

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 The payload of Reentry F is a graphite-tipped beryllium
cone 13 feet long, tapering from 0.1 inch at the nose to 27.3
inches at the base. When it separates from the rocket third
stage, the cone and its internal instruments will weigh 600
pounds. It will be launched on a Scout rocket.

The experiment was designed by NASA's Langley Research

Center, Hampton, Va. Reentry F is the sixth flight in a re.
entry heating series sponsored by the Office of Advanced Re-
search and Technology (OART).

For this experiment, three of the Scout's four stages will

be used. Two will fire on the ascending portion of the flight

trajectory, and the third will drive the instrumented payload
to hypersonic speeds after it has passed its apogee (highest
point) and is descending into the atmosphere.

Aerodynamic heating, the phenomenon which causes a meteor

to flare as it streaks into the Earth's atmosphere, is rea-
sonably well understood in relation to flight of high speed
aircraft, missiles and spacecraft. Much research and engi-
neering has been done to protect flight vehicles against its
effects -a heat shields of manned spacecraft owr
examples. IX o/ 4

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The less familiar term "boundary layer" refers to the

layer of air close to the surface of a moving object

in flight.
The moving object carries a very thin sheet of air
molecules
held to its surface by friction. These molecules rub against
their neighbors, generating heat which increases as
speeds go
higher.

When the molecules nearest the vehicle surface slide

smoothly over their closest neighbors, the boundary

layer is
said to be "laminar" or smooth. Designers would
prefer to
have smooth attached boundary layers over the entire
surface,
for they reduce air friction (drag) and heating.

The boundary layer is sensitive to many factors Including

speed, pressure, vehicle shape, surface roughness

and tempera-
ture. Instead of remaining smooth, it frequently begins
a
churning or turbulent motion, and the "scrubbing" action
in
the turbulent zone greatly increases aerodynamic heating.

When the factors which cause turbulent boundary layers

and higher heating rates are more thoroughly understood

through research, designers of many types of hypersonic ve-

hicles will benefit by being better able to promote
or pro-
long smooth, laminary boundary layer conditions.

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Transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layers

sometimes can be observed in a column of smoke ascending from
a chimney into still air. Smoke will rise smoothly and un-
disturbed for a considerable distance, then at some point it
will begin churning and billowing, which signals turbulent
flow,

The slender cone-shaped spacecraft selected for the Re-

entry F experiment is expected to develop turbulence from about
two feet behind its sharp graphite tip down to its base. In
that area turbulence in the boundary layer should result in
measurably higher rates of heating.

The results of the Reentry F experiment will be useful

in designing hypersonic aircraft, lifting entry vehicles,
slender missiles and other advanced vehicles. Reliable date
and a theoretical basis for aerodynamic heating
analysis are required for efficient design.

REENTRY F SPACECRAFT

Since heating rates are of the prime interest, the

entire outer shell of the Reentry F spacecraft is a beryllium
calorimeter or heat measurement device. It consists of seven
segments, each 0.7 inch thick. Near its base are 81.x quartz
antenna windows. The graphite nose tip is 7.5 inches long.

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 Embedded in the beryllium calorimeter segments are 21
thermal sensors, each having four thermocouples located at

different depths. Four more thermal sensors are mounted on

the base cover, and 13 pressure ports are located along the

conical shell and on the base to verify the predicted pressures.

Within the conical shell and separated from it except

for a minimum of attachment points is a cylindrical package

for instruments and power supply. The separation is essential

tio assure accurate aerodynamic heating measurements by the

calorimeter.

The package contains a telemetry transmitter and its

associated electronics, accelerometers, gyros, a tracking

beacon and the necessary power supplies. Telemetry will be

transmitted throughout the flight and playback is not neces-

sary because no significant signal attenuation (blackout) is

expected during the reentry.

The payload and backup were built by the General Electric

Company's Re--entry Systems Department under contract to the

Langley Center, which is managing the reentry project.

LAUNCH VEHICLE AND FLIGHT PLAN

A three-stage Scout will launch the Reentry F Experiment

to reenter a heavier than normal spacecraft at a sub-orbital

velocity of 13,500 mpn.

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The first two stages provide boost and coast

to an
apogee altitude of about 115 miles. The Scout
guidance
system orients the vehicle to its desired reentry
angle
of 20 &egrees below the horizontal, On the descending leg
of the trajectory, the third stage ignites at
about 100
miles altitude.

Before separation of the spacecraft about 55

miles above
Earth, a pair of small rocket motors will ignite
to give it a
spin rate of about 55 rpm and a speed of 13,500
mph. The
primary data period of the experiment will begin
at 21 miles
and will continue until the calorimeter begins
to melt around
10 miles altitude. The payload will impact
in the Atlantic
Ocean 140 miles northeast of Bermuda, some 800
miles from
Wallops Island.

TRACKING AND DATA ACQUISITION

Radar, telemetry and optical coverage will all

play a
part in gathering detailed information on the
flight of Re-
entry F.

Primary telemetery stations are Bermuda and

the Wallops
Station telemetry ship Range Recoverer. Radar
data will be
gathered by Bermuda and an Eastern Test Range
radar ship
Twin Falls Victory. Two NASA aircraft flying northeast of
Bermuda will provide optical observations and
additional
telemetry coverage.

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Tracking to apogee will be accomplished from Wallops,

and the Bermuda Station will track the payload into the re-
entry area.

Atmospheric density and temperature measurements will

be made by ARCAS sounding rockets launched from Bermuda be-
fore and after the flights, supplemented by weather balloons
from Bermuda and the Range Recoverer.

Total darkness and no more than one-quarter local cloud

cover in the reentry area are required to assure optical
coverage of the flight, so launch windows occur at night.

SCOUT REENTRY HEATING PROJECT OFFICIALS

Following are the key officials for the Scout Reentry F

Project:
Reentry F Experiment - Langley Research Ccnter
Eugene C. Draley, Assistant Director for Flight Projects
E. C. Hastings, Project Manager, Reentry F
James L. Raper, Assistant Project Manager
Howard S. Carter, Experimenter
John N. Daniel, Tracking and Data Acquisition
Scout launch Vehicle
R. D. English, Head, Scout Project Office
B. Leon Hodge, Operations Director
Robeic A. Schmitz, Payload Coordinator
E. Eugene Hall, Systems Integration Engineer

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 Wallops Station

Robert T. Duffy, Test Director

Tom W. Perry, Jr., Project Engineer

NASA Headguarters

W. A. Guild, Chief, Space Flight Projects, OART

P. J. DeMeritte, Technical Associate, Reentry F
Experiment, OART
J. Levine, Project Officer, Reentry F Project, OAR'
P. E. Goczh, Manager, Scout Program, Office of Space

Science and Applications

General Electric Cmrnpany

E. W. Richardson, Manager, Reentry F Program

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