Abres flight test evaluation of RV accuracy
Abstract
Current emphasis on improved weapon system accuracy improvement may eventually require the development and flight test evaluation of an RV designed for minimum reentry dispersion. This report documents the flight test measurement requirements necessary to verify the reentry system accuracy performance including climatology, ballistic coefficient and lift effects for a minimum dispersion reentry vehicle. The study was performed parametrically for a reentry vehicle configuration with ballistic coefficients ranging from 1500 to 4000 psf over a range of reentry angles from 15 to 40 degrees. The study develops a reentry error budget which defines the magnitude of expected errors, and the most sensitive altitude regions. The results are used to establish measurement requirements including the types of measurements that must be made, the altitude region, and the accuracies of the measurements. The capabilities of off-board and on-board instrumentation to meet the measurement requirements are examined including an extensive error analysis using the metric trackers in the Kwajalein terminal area. Different methods of post-flight data processing are reviewed.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- September 1974
- Bibcode:
- 1974STIN...7819172B
- Keywords:
-
- Flight Tests;
- Missile Trajectories;
- Reentry Vehicles;
- Weapon Systems;
- Aerodynamic Configurations;
- Climatology;
- Error Analysis;
- Terminal Ballistics;
- Astrodynamics