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Hypersonic Vehicle Flight Controls

Point of Contact: John D. McMinn

Hypersonic

The Role of DSCB....

Members of the Dynamic Systems and Control Branch are working with other NASA and industry personnel toward the development of the world's first flight vehicle to demonstrate the use of scramjet engines! Microcraft, Inc. of Tullahoma was selected by the government in March (1997) as the lead contractor for the development of a series of four unpiloted, experimental vehicles to demonstrate hypersonic (faster than five times the speed of sound) propulsion technologies.

This research effort managed by Langley Research Center is the Hyper-X program.

The overall program goal is simple to state but challenging to achieve: demonstrate positive acceleration due to the engine in flight. Additional goals of the program are a verification/validation of the various design programs and test facilities used to design hypersonic vehicles.

While supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) have been demonstrated in ground-based facilities, many additional challenges are associated with a flight vehicle. Solutions to these challenges require the expertise of individuals in many varied areas. We are part of a team developing the flight control laws for the Hyper-X.

Hyper-X

As illustrated in the figure above, the first Hyper-X vehicle will be carried aloft and dropped by a NASA B-52. It will then be delivered to the test condition (100,000 ft alt., and Mach 7) by a Pegasus booster, produced by Orbital Sciences Corp. Once separated from the booster, the 12 ft. long vehicle must maintain a strict flight condition for the duration of the scramjet test firing. Not only must the control system regulate that flight condition, but it must also perform a series of maneuvers before and after the engine test which are designed to identify hypersonic flight characteristics. As the vehicle flies in a test range off the California coast it must find its own way from the test altitude down to a predetermined experiment conclusion location.

Visit the Hyper-X Picture Gallery

Two MPEG movies show the launch and climb of the vehicle/booster from the B-52 and separation and test as envisioned by an animation artist.



 
NASA