The Flight of SHEFEX
- Paper number
IAC-06-D2.6.01
- Author
Dr. Norbert Püttmann, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. José Longo, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The SHEFEX (Sharp Edge Flight Experiment) has been performed successfully on 27th of October 2005. SHEFEX was launched at the Andoya rocket range (Norway), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) being responsible for the experiment. During the flight of approx. 10 minutes, two stages accelerated the experiment to hypersonic speed for experimentation in low atmosphere. Data and video signals have been received at two independent ground stations from launch till airbraking and splashing down. SHEFEX has been developed to gain flight data from the Thermal Protection System and the aerothermodynamics of it's configuration by flying the payload on a sounding rocket like a flying wind tunnel experiment. The aim was to investigate the behavior of an improved shape for re-entry vehicles considering sharp edges and facetted surfaces. The analysis of the received data is going on. Only two out of 64 sensors measuring pressure, temperature and heat flux failed. In the last years some experimental flight vehicles have been developed to research technologies for future space transportation vehicles, esp. for re-entry. Computation, experiments and tests on ground delivered a lot of data for materials and aerothermodynamics. After the flight of SHEFEX flight data are available for the validation of the planning and construction tools. As a major advantage most of the budget has been used for the experiment and the minor one for the launcher and the launch campaign. The presentation will include an overview of the SHEFEX project, the flight campaign, first results and the first concepts of the follow on experiment. It is planned to provide videos in the presentation.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-D2.6.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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