Introduction to Rocket Science and Engineering

314 Pages·2009·6.67 MB·English

by  Taylor

Travis S. Taylor
Boca Raton London New York
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Dedication
To all those rocket scientists and engineers throughout history who
have successfully designed the vehicles and technologies for spacecraft
missions that fuel mankind’s sense of wonder and dreams of space
and to all those that will in the future, I dedicate this work.

Contents
About the Author ...................................................................................................xi
Preface ...................................................................................................................xiii
1. What Are Rockets? .........................................................................................1
1.1 The History of Rockets .........................................................................1
1.1.1 400 BCE ......................................................................................1
1.1.2 100 to 0 BCE ..............................................................................2
1.1.3 0 to 100 AD ................................................................................3
1.1.4 850 AD .......................................................................................3
1.1.5 904 AD .......................................................................................3
1.1.6 1132 to 1279 AD ........................................................................3
1.1.7 1300 to 1600 AD ........................................................................4
1.1.8 1600 to 1800 AD ........................................................................5
1.1.9 1800 to 1900 AD ........................................................................5
1.1.10 1900 to 1930 AD ........................................................................6
1.1.10.1 A Perspective ............................................................9
1.1.11 1930 to 1957 AD ........................................................................9
1.1.12 1957 to 1961 AD.......................................................................10
1.1.13 1961 to Present ........................................................................14
1.1.14 X PRIZE ...................................................................................18
1.1.15 Other Space Agencies ............................................................21
1.2 Rockets of the Modern Era ................................................................22
1.2.1 ESA and CNES .......................................................................23
1.2.2 Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO—India) ........23
1.2.3 Iranian Space Agency (ISA—Iran) ......................................24
1.2.4 Israeli Space Agency ..............................................................25
1.2.5 Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA—Japan) .....25
1.2.6 China National Space Administration (CNSA—
People’s Republic of China) ..................................................26
1.2.7 Russian Federal Space Agency (FSA, also known as
RKA in Russian—Russia/Ukraine) ....................................27
1.2.8 United States of America: NASA and the U.S. Air
Force .........................................................................................28
1.2.9 Other Systems Are on the Way ............................................31
1.2.10 The NASA Constellation Program ......................................31
1.3 Rocket Anatomy and Nomenclature ................................................36
1.4 Chapter Summary...............................................................................40
Exercises ..........................................................................................................42
vii
viii Contents
2. Why Are Rockets Needed? .........................................................................43
2.1 Missions and Payloads .......................................................................43
2.1.1 Missions ..................................................................................44
2.1.2 Payloads ...................................................................................45
2.2 Trajectories ...........................................................................................47
2.2.1 Example 2.1: Hobby Rocket ..................................................47
2.2.2 Fundamental Equations for Trajectory Analysis ..............51
2.2.3 Missing the Earth ...................................................................53
2.2.4 Example 2.2: The Dong Feng 31 ICBM ................................54
2.3 Orbits ....................................................................................................54
2.3.1 Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation .............................54
2.3.2 Example 2.3: Acceleration Due to Gravity on a
Telecommunications Satellite ...............................................56
2.3.3 A Circular Orbit .....................................................................58
2.3.4 The Circle Is a Special Case of an Ellipse ...........................62
2.3.5 The Ellipse Is Actually a Conic Section ..............................64
2.3.6 Kepler’s Laws ..........................................................................66
2.3.7 Newton’s Vis Viva Equation ................................................69
2.4 Orbit Changes and Maneuvers .........................................................73
2.4.1 In-Plane Orbit Changes .........................................................73
2.4.2 Example 2.4: The Hohmann Transfer Orbit .......................75
2.4.3 The Bielliptical Transfer ........................................................78
2.4.4 Plane Changes ........................................................................78
2.4.5 Interplanetary Trajectories ...................................................79
2.4.6 The Gravitational Assist .......................................................81
2.5 Ballistic Missile Trajectories ..............................................................83
2.5.1 Ballistic Missile Trajectories Are Conic Sections ..............83
2.6 Chapter Summary...............................................................................85
Exercises ..........................................................................................................86
3. How Do Rockets Work?...............................................................................89
3.1 Thrust ...................................................................................................89
3.2 Specific Impulse ..................................................................................92
3.2.1 Example 3.1: I of the Space Shuttle Main Engines ..........95
sp
3.3 Weight Flow Rate ................................................................................95
3.4 Tsiolkovsky’s Rocket Equation ..........................................................98
3.5 Staging ................................................................................................103
3.5.1 Example 3.2: The Two-Stage Rocket ..................................107
3.6 Rocket Dynamics, Guidance, and Control ....................................108
3.6.1 Aerodynamic Forces ............................................................108
3.6.2 Example 3.3: Drag Force on the Space Shuttle .................110
3.6.3 Rocket Stability and the Restoring Force .........................110
3.6.4 Rocket Attitude Control Systems ......................................116
3.6.5 8 Degrees of Freedom ..........................................................117
Contents ix
3.7 Chapter Summary.............................................................................120
Exercises ........................................................................................................122
4. How Do Rocket Engines Work?...............................................................125
4.1 The Basic Rocket Engine ..................................................................125
4.2 Thermodynamic Expansion and the Rocket Nozzle ...................128
4.2.1 Isentropic Flow .....................................................................130
4.3 Exit Velocity .......................................................................................134
4.4 Rocket Engine Area Ratio and Lengths.........................................141
4.4.1 Nozzle Area Expansion Ratio ............................................141
4.4.2 Nozzle Design ......................................................................143
4.4.3 The Properly Designed Nozzle ..........................................147
4.4.4 Expansion Chamber Dimensions ......................................148
4.5 Rocket Engine Design Example ......................................................150
4.6 Chapter Summary.............................................................................154
Exercises ........................................................................................................155
5. Are All Rockets the Same? .......................................................................157
5.1 Solid Rocket Engines ........................................................................157
5.1.1 Basic Solid Motor Components ..........................................158
5.1.2 Solid Propellant Composition ............................................161
5.1.3 Solid Propellant Grain Configurations .............................161
5.1.4 Burn Rate ...............................................................................162
5.1.4.1 Example 5.1: Burn Rate of the Space Shuttle
SRBs ........................................................................164
5.2 Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines ..................................................165
5.2.1 Cavitation ..............................................................................167
5.2.2 Pogo ........................................................................................168
5.2.3 Cooling the Engine ..............................................................169
5.2.4 A Real World Perspective: The SSME Ignition
Sequence ................................................................................170
5.3 Hybrid Rocket Engines ....................................................................170
5.4 Electric Rocket Engines ....................................................................171
5.4.1 Electrostatic Engines ...........................................................172
5.4.2 Example 5.2: The Deep Space Probe’s NSTAR Ion
Engine ....................................................................................175
5.4.3 Electrothermal Engines.......................................................178
5.4.4 Electromagnetic Engines ....................................................179
5.4.5 Example 5.3: The Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT)
Engine ....................................................................................182
5.4.6 Solar Electric Propulsion ....................................................185
5.4.7 Nuclear Electric Propulsion ...............................................186
5.5 Nuclear Rocket Engines ...................................................................193