Flight Testing the Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE)

Corda, Stephen and Neal, Bradford A. and Moes, Timothy R. and Cox, Timothy H. and Monaghan, Richard C. and Voelker, Leonard S. and Corpening, Griffin P. and Larson, Richard R. and Powers, Bruce G. (1998) Flight Testing the Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE). Technical Report NASA/TM-1998-206567, Research Engineering, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

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Abstract

The design of the next generation of space access vehicles has led to a unique flight test that blends the space and flight research worlds. The new space vehicle designs, such as the X-33 vehicle and Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), are powered by linear aerospike rocket engines. Conceived of in the 1960’s, these aerospike engines have yet to be flown, and many questions remain regarding aerospike engine performance and efficiency in flight. To provide some of these data before flying on the X-33 vehicle and the RLV, a spacecraft rocket engine has been flight-tested atop the NASA SR-71 aircraft as the Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE). A 20 percent–scale, semispan model of the X-33 vehicle, the aerospike engine, and all the required fuel and oxidizer tanks and propellant feed systems have been mounted atop the SR-71 airplane for this experiment. A major technical objective of the LASRE flight test is to obtain installed-engine performance flight data for comparison to wind-tunnel results and for the development of computational fluid dynamics–based design methodologies. The ultimate goal of firing the aerospike rocket engine in flight is still forthcoming. An extensive design and development phase of the experiment hardware has been completed, including approximately 40 ground tests. Five flights of the LASRE and firing the rocket engine using inert liquid nitrogen and helium in place of liquid oxygen and hydrogen have been successfully completed.

EPrint Type:	NASA Technical Memorandum
Keywords:	Flight test, Flight tests using hydrogen fuel, Linear aerospike rocket engines, Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE), SR-71 aircraft, X-33 vehicle
Subjects:	(01 - 09) Aeronautics: (07) Aircraft Propulsion And Power Aircraft/Project: LASRE Aircraft/Project: SR-71 Blackbird Aircraft/Project: X-33
ID Code:	175
Deposited On:	08 June 2004
Additional Information:	26 pages. Presented at 30th Anniversary Symposium of the Society of Flight Test Engineers, Inc., September 15–17, 1998, Reno, Nevada. Stephen Corda, Bradford Neal, Timothy Moes, Timothy Cox, Richard Monaghan, Leonard Voelker, Griffin Corpening, Richard Larson, NASA Dryden Flight Research, Edwards, CA; and Bruce Powers, Analytical Services and Materials, Inc., Hampton, VA.