Thrust Vectoring Successfully
Demonstrated on P-3 Launch and Recovery, Feb. 22, 2003
California State University,
Long Beach (CSULB) and Garvey Spacecraft Corporation (GSC), partners in the
California Launch Vehicle Education Initiative, achieved yet another milestone
with the successful launch and recovery of the Prospector-3 rocket on Sat., Feb.
22, 2003 at the Mojave Test Area (MTA).
Primary accomplishments included initial
demonstration of thrust vector control, an improved engine chamber design and
the first use of a new set of flight control avionics.
P-3 in flight (photo by Kim Garvey)
In-flight Thrust Vectoring
Following their static fire test of a rocket
engine gimballing system conducted in Sept. 2002, the
team of CSULB students and industry mentors integrated the system into the
Prospector-3 vehicle and launched it on Sat. Feb. 22 at the Mojave Test Area, site owned and operated
by the Reaction Research Society (RRS). The
thrust vector control system was flown in open loop with a 2 deg. engine
deflection (to induce a nose down pitching motion) programmed to take place 3
seconds into the flight, the engine staying deflected by this amount for half a
second, then going to -2 deg. and staying at this position for another half
second before returning to zero.
The initial review of the
flight data indicates that after the initial three seconds of flight, before any
engine deflection was initiated, the vehicle already had a flight path angle of
more than 30 deg. away from the vertical. At this point, the nose down maneuver
took place as planned and increased the nose down flight path angle which
rapidly reached horizontal. The programmed engine deflection in the opposite
direction (-2 deg.) was insufficient to change attitude sufficiently in order to
increase altitude. A few seconds later, the barometer sensing loss in altitude
initiated the recovery sequence with deployment of the drogue and main chutes.
The vehicle was then recovered.
USC Payloads onboard P-3
The Prospector-3 rocket also flew two sets of payloads developed by USC students involved in the
USC Microsatellite Program. One of these
payloads was a set of bonding samples manufactured at JPL to test a new bonding
technique for use in MEMS. The other was a flight computer to record the launch
environment (including high frequency accelerometers). Details on the outcome of
the launch will be posted here as soon as it is available.
P-3 Launch Pictures
Pre-launch
Launch
Recovery
Next steps
One of the next steps in the
TVC system development will include a flight in closed-loop mode, based on the
control algorithm developed by Universal Space Lines (USL). This flight might be
preceded by the flight of the whole system in passive mode, in order to acquire
data using the hardware (including flight computer) to be used in the latter
flight.
Special thanks
The CSULB team would like to
recognize the following individuals who, through their support, made this flight
a success. First and foremost, John Garvey, John Engberg and David McCue who,
despite playing a pivotal role in the vehicle development, did not get to
witness the complete flight first hand since they were in the blockhouse, Mike
Novratil for working with the students on vehicle integration and operations,
Kevin Baxter for providing the launch rail, Mark Holthaus for integrating the
recovery system, Richard Ornellas for providing the LOX and Dave Crisalli, President of the RRS, for giving the CALVEIN
team access to the MTA.
For more information about
CALVEIN, contact
Dr. Eric Besnard, besnarde@csulb.edu.
For more information about the
USC Microsatellite Program, contact Brian
D'Souza, bcd@usc.edu.
Back to News & Events 2003
