NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19930008878: Space shuttle solid rocket booster main parachute damage reduction team report

96 Pages·4.3 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

NASA Technical Memorandum 4437
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket
Booster Main Parachute Damage
Reduction Team Report
G. Watts
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama
(NASA-TM-a437) SPACE SHUTTLE SOL[D N93-ISOb7
ROCKET BOOSTER MAIN PARACHUTE
DAMAGE REDUCTION TEAM REPORT
Unclas
(NASA) 93 p
HI/15 0145542
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Office of Management
Scientific and Technical
Information Program
1993
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Three main parachutes decelerate a solid rocket booster for water impact.
OR!GINAL PAGE
BLACK AND WHITE PNOTOGRAF'H i
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................
3
1.1 General Description of SRB Recovery System ................................................................
5
1.2 Primary Damage Sources and Previous Corrective Measures .........................................
8
1.3 Vent Entanglement (STS-30R Failure) ............................................................................
9
1.4 Recommendations ............................................................................................................
10
2.0 RECOMMENDED CONCEPT: PILOT CHUTE-DEPLOYED SOFT PACK ......................
10
2.1 Concept Description .........................................................................................................
11
2.1.1 Deployment Sequence ...........................................................................................
11
2.1.2 Cluster Pilot Parachute Size ..................................................................................
11
2.2 Assembly ..........................................................................................................................
13
2.3 Weight Delta ....................................................................................................................
13
2.4 Development Description ................................................................................................
13
2.4.1 Design ....................................................................................................................
13
2.4.2 Testing ...................................................................................................................
14
2.5 Development Schedule ....................................................................................................
14
2:6 Costs ................................................................................................................................
15
3.0 ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDED CONCEPTS ................................................................
15
3.1 Concept 2: Delete Isogrid ................................................................................................
15
3.1.1 Concept Description ...............................................................................................
15
3.1.2 Assembly ...............................................................................................................
15
3.1.3 Weight Delta ..........................................................................................................
15
3.1.4 Development Description ......................................................................................
15
3.1.4.1 Design ......................................................................................................
16
3.1.4.2 Testing .......................................................................................................
16
3.1.5 Development Schedule .........................................................................................
16
3.1.6 Costs ......................................................................................................................
16
3.2 Concept 5" External MPSS ...............................................................................................
16
3.2.1 Concept Description .................................................................... •.........................
18
3.2.2 Assembly ...............................................................................................................
19
3.2.3 Weight Delta .........................................................................................................
19
3.2.4 Development Description .....................................................................................
19
3.2.4.1 Design ......................................................................................................
19
3.2.4.2 Testing ......................................................................................................
19
3.2.5 Development Schedule .........................................................................................
19
3.2.6 Costs ......................................................................................................................
20
3.3 Concept 4A: Soft Pack With Energy Absorber (Frustum Mounted) ...............................
20
3.3.1 Concept Description ..............................................................................................
20
3.3.1.1 Deployment Sequence ..............................................................................
22
3.3.1.2 Energy Absorber Requirements ...............................................................
22
3.3.2 Assembly ................................................................................................................
111
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
Weight Delta .......................................................................................................... 22
Development Description ..................................................................................... 23
3.3.4.1 Design ...................................................................................................... 23
3.3.4.2 Testing ...................................................................................................... 23
Development Schedule .......................................................................................... 23
Costs ...................................................................................................................... 24
4.0 DEVELOPMENT TESTING .................................................................................................. 25
25
4.1 Material Strength Tests ................................................................................................
4.2 Cluster Pilot Parachute Load Tests .............................................................................. 26
4.3 Static Pull Tests ............................................................................................................ 26
4.4 Dynamic Deployment Tests ......................................................................................... 26
4.5 Cluster Lateral Load Tests ........................................................................................... 27
4.6 Drop Tests .................................................................................................................... 28
5.0 COST COMPARISON AND AMORTIZATION STUDY ..................................................... 31
5.1 Assumptions ................................................................................................................. 31
5.2 Nomenclature ............................................................................................................... 31
31
5.3 Analysis ........................................................................................................................
5.4 Amortization Equation .................................................................................................. 32
5.5 Results .......................................................................................................................... 33
6.0 MAIN PARACHUTE ENHANCEMENTS ........................................................................... 34
6.1 Vent Cap Ties .................................................................. ............................................. 34
6.2 Canopy Vent Apex Tie Lanyard Modification 34
6.3 Optimize Canopy Ties ................................................................................................. 34
6.4 Relocation0fCan0py Ties 34
6.5 Use OfFilament Wound Case Bidirectional Canopy Tie Loops .................................. 34
6.6 Alternate Vent Line Stacking 35
6.7 Mesh Tsp_or Deployment Bag ..................................................................................... 35
6.8 Reduce Number of Reefing Line and Suspension Line Tacks ...................................... 35
6.9 Fabric Liner for Parachute Vent ................................................................................... 35
6.10 Apply Friction Reducing Material During Refurbishment .......... .................................. 35
7.0 RELATED ISSUES ...................................................................3.6............................................
7.1 SRB Center of Gravity .................................................................................................. 36
7.2 Pilot Parachute Capability 36
7.3 Parachute PerformanCe Data 37
7.4 Prime Con_actor Data Requirements 37
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
8.0 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................... 38
9.0 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................... 39
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................. 40
APPENDIX A - SUMMARY OF ALL DAMAGE REDUCTION CONCEPTS
CONSIDERED .................................................................................................... 41
41
Concept 1: Shorten Isogrid ......................................................................................................
41
Concept 2: Delete Isogrid .......................................................................................................
41
Concept 3: Pilot Chute-Deployed Soft Pack ...........................................................................
42
Concept 3A: Pilot Chute-Deployed Soft Pack (Frustum Mounted) ........................................
42
Concept 4: Soft Pack With Delayed Release From Frustum ..................................................
43
Concept 4A: Soft Pack With Energy Absorber (Frustum Mounted) .......................................
43
Concept 5: External MPSS ......................................................................................................
43
Concept 6: Banana Bag ............................................................................................................
44
Concept 7: Longer Drogue Suspension Lines .........................................................................
44
Concept 8: Clustered Drogue ..................................................................................................
44
Concept 9: Larger Drogue .........................................................................................................
45
Concept 10: Increase Time on Drogue .....................................................................................
45
Concept 11: Optimize Ties for Vent Cap and Canopy ...........................................................
45
Concept 12: Soft Pack With Mortar-Type Deployment ..........................................................
Concept 13: MPSS Fairing to Frustum Exit ............................................................................ 46
Concept 14: Split Isogrid .......................................................................................................... 46
Concept 15: Separation Plane Moved Forward ....................................................................... 46
Concept 16: Lower Main Chute Pack in Frustum ................................................................... 47
Concept 17: Frustum Fairing ................................................................................................... 47
47
Concept 18: Individual Rigid Containers .................................................................................
Concept 19: Jettison Nozzle Extension at Apogee .................................................................. 47
Concept 20: Bridle-Deployed Soft Pack on Dome ................................................................. 48
Concept 21: Energy Absorber-Deployed Soft Pack on Dome ................................................ 48
APPENDIX B - MAIN PARACHUTE DAMAGE HISTORY AND CAUSE ASSESSMENT .... 49
49
B. 1 Main Parachute Damage ..................................................................................................
B. 1.1 Significant Small Main Parachute Damage History .............................................. 51
B. 1.2 Significant Large Main Parachute Damage History ............................................. 52
B.2 SRB and Parachute Data .................................................................................................. 54
B.2.1 Data Measurement Methods ................................................................................. 54
B.2.1.1 Radar Tracking Ships .............................................................................. 54
B.2.1.2 Development Flight Instrumentation ....................................................... 54
B.2.1.3 Photo Aircraft and SRB Onboard Cameras .............................................. 54
B.2.1.4 Land-Based Radars .................................................................................. 55
B.2.1.5 Trajectory Reconstruction ....................................................................... 55
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
B.2.2 Availability of Data Measurement Methods ......................................................... 55
B.2.3 SRB Trajectory Parameters ................................................................................... 55
B.2.4 Nose Cap Separation Data .................................................................................... 60
B.2.5 Frustum Separation Data ....................................................................................... 60
B.2.6 SRB Weight and CG Data .................................................................................... 60
B.2.7 Drogue and Main Parachute Loads Data .............................................................. 60
B.3 Main Parachute Damage Correlation With Flight Data .................................................. 60
B.4 Damage Correlation Summary ......................................................................................... 78 i
B.5 Bibliography .................................................................................................................... 79
B.5.1 Martin Marietta Corporation Postflight Reports ................................................... 79
B.5.2 MSFC Flight Evaluation Reports .......................................................................... 80
B.5.3 Presentations and Memos ...................................................................................... 82
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Title Page
Figure
1
1. SRB main parachute damage reduction team ....................................................................
2
2. Damage reduction concepts ..............................................................................................
3
3. SRB nose cone assembly ..................................................................................................
4. Main parachute support structure with detail of forward ring attachment ........................ 4
5a. SRB recovery sequence (drogue parachute phase) ............................................................ 6
5b. SRB recovery sequence (main parachute phase) ............................................................... 7
8
6. Main parachute ripstops ....................................................................................................
7. STS-30R main parachute failure mechanism .................................................................... 9
10
8. Concept 3 configuration ....................................................................................................
12
9. Concept 3 deployment sequence .......................................................................................
14
10. Concept 3 development schedule ......................................................................................
11. Concept 2 (delete isogrid) development schedule ............................................................. 16
17
12. EMPSS configuration ........................................................................................................
17
13. EMPSS upper structure .....................................................................................................
18
14. EMPSS lower structure ......................................................................................................
19
15. EMPSS development schedule .........................................................................................
20
16. Concept 4A configuration .................................................................................................
21
17. Concept 4A deployment sequence .....................................................................................
18. Concept 4A development schedule ................................................................................... 23
25
19. Development test summary ...............................................................................................
20. Dynamic deployment sled test configuration ..................................................................... 26
21. Cluster static lateral load test for concepts 2 and 4A ........................................................ 27
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (Continued)
Figure Title Page
22. Cluster lateral load sled test configuration for concepts 3, 2, 5, and 4A
(concept 3 shown) ............................................................................................................. 28
23. DTV-2 configuration for concept 3 drop test .................................................................... 29
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24. DTV-2 mass properties for concept 3 ............................................................................... 3O
25. Cost amortization results ................................................................................................... 33
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B-1. Gore numbering system for large main parachutes ........................................................... 5O
B-2. Summary of significant main parachute damage .............................................................. 51
B-3. Summary of SRB and parachute data measurement methods ........................................... 56
B-4. SRB trajectory parameters ................................................................................................ 58
B-5. SRB nose cap separation data ........................................................................................... 62
B-6. SRB frustum separation data ............................................................................................. 64
B-7. SRB weight and longitudinal CG location at SRB separation .......................................... 66
B-8. Predicted and measured peak loads for drogue and main parachutes ............................... 68
B-9. Correlation between SRB weight at separation and main parachute damage ................... 69
B-10. Correlation between SRB longitudinal CG location and main parachute damage ........... 70
B-11.
Correlation between SRB longitudinal CG location and main parachute damage
(ranked values) .................................................................................................................. 71
Correlation between SRB apogee altitude and main parachute damage .......................... 72
Correlatioh-between SRB apogee altitude and main parachute damage
(ranked values) .................................................................................................................. 73
B-14. Correlation between SRB reentry Qmax and main parachute damage ............................. 74 E
B-15. Correlation betweeen SRB drogue hang time and main parachute damage ..................... 75
B-16. Correlation between SRB frustum tilt angle and main parachute damage ....................... 76
B-17.
Correlati0n between main parachute damage and the combined effect of dynamic
pressure at nose cap separation and SRB longitudinal CG location ................................. 77
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