Simulating the dynamic separation of launch vehicles from their support structures

A technique is presented for generating the transient response of a launch vehicle during separation from its support structure. The method utilizes a complete dynamic model of the launch vehicle and support structure, with no limitations on the number of interface degrees of freedom. Changes occurring in the structural math model during the point-by-point separation are accounted for by introducing terms to the right-hand-side of the equations of motion. This allows the analyst to employ a single set of system modes to simulate the vehicles transition from the constrained to the free-free configuration.