Roughness and wall temperature effects on boundary layer transition on a 0.0175-scale space shuttle orbiter model tested at Mach number 8

Heat-transfer tests were conducted on the Space Shuttle Orbiter Vehicle in the AEDC/VKF Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (B) to determine the location of boundary-layer transition for a simulated reentry phase flight profile. The model was a 0.0175-scale model with simulated randomly misaligned thermal protection system tiles etched into the windward surface. The tests were conducted at a nominal free-stream Mach number of 8, free-stream unit Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.5 million to 3.7 million per ft, and angles of attack of 30, 35, and 40 deg. Values of wall temperature to free-stream stagnation temperature ranged from 0.14 to 0.44. Representative test data and an analysis of the windward surface centerline heat-transfer data are included. Effects of wall temperature, tile roughness, and angle of attack on the location of transition are discussed.