High-Altitude Atmospheric Characterization for Validation of Ground Testing Facilities

Optimal design and successful operation of high-altitude (near-space range of 100-200kft) hypersonic flight vehicles hinges, among other factors, on accurate characterization of prevailing atmospheric freestream and disturbance conditions. This is due to the fact that drag, heat and structural loads experienced by the vehicle can vary significantly depending upon the nature of the flow over the vehicle. Although much progress has been made to characterize the unsteadiness of flow conditions, especially pressure and density fluctuations, achieved in both noisy and quiet hypersonic ground testing facilities, a key link is missing. That is, we dont have a direct comparison between what the atmospheres natural disturbances are (pressure, density, temperature, and velocity fluctuations) and what we are producing on our most advanced hypersonic tunnels. To address this solicited DoD need for high-altitude atmospheric characterization, we will develop a robust instrumentation capability to provide high quality measurements for validation of high-speed ground testing facilities. A cost effective high-altitude flight test platform will be matured and optimized, in parallel with the development and miniaturization of novel sensor suites for validation of ground test facilities.