Date of Award:

5-2013

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Stephen A Whitmore

Committee

Stephen A Whitmore

Committee

Charles M. Swenson

Committee

Christine E. Hailey

Abstract

The Auroral Spatial Structures Probe (ASSP) mission is a sounding rocket mission studying the effects of solar energy on space weather. ASSP requires the high speed ejection (up to 50 m/s) of 6 secondary payloads to gather the required data. The scientific instruments on the secondary payloads require that the payloads are stable in flight with coning angles of less than 5º, where the coning angle is the amount the payload is allowed to “wobble” about its spin axis. The secondary payloads are also required to have their spin axes aligned with 25º of the local magnetic field lines. Current ejection methods do not meet the velocity requirement and are often lead to unstable flight. To meet the ASSP mission requirements, a new ejection method is being developed by NASA Wallops Flight Facility. This document describes how the flight stability of the secondary payloads was modeled using computer simulations. These simulations showed that to meet the stability requirements for ASSP the secondary payload mass properties must be accurately measured and the payloads balanced. If errors in mass property measurements can be reduced to 0.5%, it is possible to achieve mean coning and B-field alignment angles of 2.16º and 2.71º, respectively.

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