Review of ETM-03 (A Five Segment Shuttle RSRM Configuration) Ballistic Performance

摘要

Marshall Space Flight Center and ATK Thiokol Propulsion worked together on the engineering design of a five-segment Engineering Test Motor (ETM-03), the world's largest segmented solid rocket motor. The data from ETM-03's static test have helped to provide a better understanding of the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor's (RSRM's) margins and the techniques and models used to simulate solid rocket motor performance. The enhanced performance of ETM-03 was achieved primarily by the addition of a RSRM center segment. Added motor performance was also achieved with a nozzle throat diameter increase and the incorporation of an Extended Aft Exit Cone (EAEC). Performance parameters such as web time, action time, head-end pressure, web time average pressure, maximum thrust, mass flow rate, centerline Mach number, pressure and thrust integrals were all increased over RSRM. In some cases, the performance increases were substantial. Overall, the measured data were exceptionally close to the pretest predictions.