Abstract
Hypersonic flight introduces unique challenges to the mission and vehicle design process. Not only must a vehicle withstand the extreme temperatures and aerodynamic loads of atmospheric reentry, it must also deliver a payload to its targeted destination with precision. Compounding these challenges are limited opportunities for testing new technologies in these extreme environments due to the higher costs of reaching hypersonic speeds. This stymies progress in the state of the art for entry technologies. NASA is leveraging prior investments in cost-cutting technologies to create a low-cost, hypersonic fight test platform (HyperSTEP) for advancing entry technologies. Access to flight data from repeated testing will strengthen heritage tools and accelerate the maturation and infusion of new technologies into flagship missions. This paper will discuss the steps that have been taken toward HyperSTEP development and the technologies that would be advanced by its test flights.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2024 |
| Publisher | American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc, AIAA |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781624107115 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2024 |
| Event | AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2024 - Orlando, United States Duration: Jan 8 2024 → Jan 12 2024 |
Publication series
| Name | AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2024 |
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Conference
| Conference | AIAA SciTech Forum and Exposition, 2024 |
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| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Orlando |
| Period | 01/8/24 → 01/12/24 |
Funding
The authors would especially like to thank the JSC Engineering Directorate leadership for providing the support to pursue this work under the JSC IRAD. Similarly, the JSC Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division have provided invaluable feedback along the way. The authors would like to especially thank Ronald Sostaric, Daniel Matz, Gavin Mendeck, Adam Amar, and Adam Sidor of JSC for their feedback and general advice throughout the project; Jim Ross, Joseph Garcia, Marie Dennison, Robert Childs, Ethiraj Venkatapathy, and Soumyo Dutta of ARC and LaRC for their inputs informing aero/aerothermal sensor and future TPS selection; Mike Baysinger and Douglas Trent of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for providing the updated human-scale MAV; Tyler Smith, James Klett, Sam Pankratz, and John Pike of ORNL for aiding in the TPS and hot structure demonstration efforts. Finally, we would like to thank the many others who contributed their time during the needfinding process, across NASA, industry, academia, and other government agencies. This work was coauthored by employees of Draper under Contract No. 80JSC021DA005 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. All other rights are reserved by the copyright owner.