Titan 3C transtage/stage 2 separation-shock bench test, volume 1

A series of pyrotechnic shock tests were conducted to evaluate several concepts of shock attenuation. The investigation was occasioned by the results of full-scale pyrotechnic shock tests of a Titan IIIC Transtage (the fourth stage of a four-stage launch vehicle). These tests, reported in MCR-75-414, investigated shock levels on truss structure supporting guidance and vehicle control equipment. The shock energy source was the pyrotechnically actuated nuts that separate Stage II from the Transtage. In general, the test data showed shock levels on the trusses in the frequencies near 2000 Hz to be higher than anticipated. Shock attenuation concepts were investigated to provide a springboard for Titan IIIC hardware changes that would reduce shock levels on critical components. Three means of shock attenuation have been demonstrated. Although the effort was to support the solution of a particular problem, the test results are generally applicable in the industry. The concepts tested are only those that would provide an economically acceptable means of solving the particular problem.