810-HB-SRP NASA Sounding Rockets User Handbook Sounding Rockets Program Office Sub-orbital and Special Orbital Projects Directorate NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, VA 23337 July 2015 1 810-HB-SRP 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. 2 810-HB-SRP Preface ............................................................................................................................................. 2 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 11 List of tables ................................................................................................................................... 12 SECTION 1: The NASA Sounding Rocket Program (NSRP) ................................................................. 13 1.1 The Program: 1959 – the Present .................................................................................................. 13 1.2 NASA Organizational Responsibilities ........................................................................................... 14 1.2.1 Program Management ....................................................................................................................................... 14 1.2.2 Sounding Rocket Working Group (SRWG) ......................................................................................................... 14 1.3 Sounding Rocket Program Customer’s Role ................................................................................... 14 1.3.1 Philosophy ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 1.3.2 Payload and Instrumentation ............................................................................................................................ 15 1.4 Sounding Rocket Project Support Elements .................................................................................. 15 1.4.1 Program-Provided Support Services .................................................................................................................. 16 1.4.1.1 Flight Mission Management ..................................................................................................................... 17 1.4.1.2 Payload Analysis, Design, & Development ............................................................................................... 18 1.4.1.3 Launch Vehicle and Payload Support Systems ......................................................................................... 18 1.4.1.4 Payload Fabrication .................................................................................................................................. 18 1.4.1.5 Payload Assembly/Integration, Testing, & Evaluation ............................................................................. 19 1.4.1.6 Launch and Flight Support Operations ..................................................................................................... 19 1.4.1.7 Post-Flight Data Processing and Analysis ................................................................................................. 20 1.4.1.8 Ground and Flight Safety .......................................................................................................................... 20 SECTION 2: The Sounding Rocket Mission Lifecycle......................................................................... 22 2.1 The Mission Initiation Conference (MIC) ....................................................................................... 22 2.1.1 Project Schedule ................................................................................................................................................ 22 2.1.2 Mechanical Devices and Structural Elements .................................................................................................... 23 2.1.3 Flight Performance ............................................................................................................................................ 23 2.1.4 Instrumentation ................................................................................................................................................. 24 2.1.5 Attitude Control ................................................................................................................................................. 24 2.1.6 Navigation .......................................................................................................................................................... 24 2.1.7 Data Reduction .................................................................................................................................................. 24 2.1.8 Testing ............................................................................................................................................................... 24 2.1.9 Foreign Nationals ............................................................................................................................................... 24 2.2 Requirements Definition Phase .................................................................................................... 25 2.3 The Requirements Definition Meeting (RDM) ............................................................................... 25 2.4 Design Phase ............................................................................................................................... 25 2.5 Design Review (DR) ...................................................................................................................... 25 2.6 Payload Fabrication and Pre-Integration Testing Phase ................................................................. 26 2.7 Pre-Integration Review (PIR) ........................................................................................................ 27 3 810-HB-SRP 2.8 Integration and Testing (I&T) Phase .............................................................................................. 27 2.8.1 Payload Integration ............................................................................................................................................ 28 2.8.2 Acceptance Testing ............................................................................................................................................ 28 2.8.3 Final Checkout ................................................................................................................................................... 28 2.9 Mission Readiness Review (MRR) ................................................................................................. 28 2.10 Flight Readiness Review (FRR) ...................................................................................................... 29 2.11 Launch Operations Phase ............................................................................................................. 29 2.12 Mission Closeout Phase ................................................................................................................ 30 SECTION 3: Sounding Rocket Launch Vehicles and Performance Capabilities ................................... 32 3.1 NASA Mission Designation System ............................................................................................... 32 3.2 NASA Sounding Rockets ............................................................................................................... 32 3.2.1 Performance Characteristics .............................................................................................................................. 32 3.3 Boost Guidance System (BGS)....................................................................................................... 36 3.3.1 Background & Capabilities ................................................................................................................................. 37 Section 4: Sounding Rocket Payload Design Considerations ............................................................. 38 4.1 Payload Design ............................................................................................................................ 38 4.2 Flight Performance ....................................................................................................................... 39 4.2.1 Mechanical Loads and Vibration ........................................................................................................................ 39 4.2.2 Thermal Considerations ..................................................................................................................................... 39 4.2.3 Vacuum and Out-Gassing .................................................................................................................................