THRUST VECTOR CONTROL

SPARTA, INC. PROPOSES A PROGRAM TO STUDY, DESIGN AND EVALUATE A METHOD OF OBTAINING THRUST VECTOR CONTROL (TVC) IN A SOLID PROPELLANT SPACE BOOSTER ROCKET MOTOR UTILIZING THE CONTROLLED INSERTION AND WITHDRAWAL OF PROBES INTO VARIOUS STATIONS OF THE SUPERSONIC PORTION OF THE THRUST ROCKET NOZZLE. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) DETERMINE ANALYTICALLY THE DEGREE OF THRUST VECTOR DEFLECTION THAT CAN BE EFFECTED BY PROBE INSERTION INTO A SOLID PROPELLANT ROCKET MOTOR NOZZLE FLOWFIELD. (2) DETERMINE THE FLOWFIELD ENVIRONMENT ON THE PROBE. (3) DETERMINE WHAT EXISTING MATERIALS ARE SUITABLE FOR USE IN THE EXTREMELY SEVERE ENVIRONMENT INSIDE A SOLID PROPELLANT BOOSTER ROCKET NOZZLE. (4) MAKE PRELIMINARY MECHANICAL/STRUCTURAL DESIGNS OF PROBES TO SURVIVE THE ENVIRONMENT FOR TIMES OF INTEREST AND TO PREDICT THEIR THERMAL AND STRUCTURAL RESPONSE IN THE NOZZLE ENVIRONMENT. (5) DESIGN A PHASE II ANALYTICAL AND TEST PROGRAM TO DEMONSTRATE PROOF OF PRINCIPLE AND OBTAIN PERFORMANCE DATA. TWO UNIQUE FEATURES OF THESE ROCKET NOZZLE PROBE TVC DESIGNS ARE: (1) THE PROBE'S ABILITY TO SURVIVE THE ENVIRONMENT WITH NO DIMENSIONAL CHANGE OR STRUCTURAL DEGRADATION FOR THE TIME PERIODS OF INTEREST; AND (2) THE USE OF VANE SHAPED PROBES TO GENERATE VARIABLE TORQUE ROLL CONTROL IN THE NOZZLE.