Rocket Testing and Materials Basics of Rockets & Missile

Elucidate the tests performed on a launch vehicle before the launch

Module – 5 Describe the Trajectory monitoring and post-accident procedure in a launch vehicle.

What are the criteria for selection of materials for constructing a rocket? Explain.

Discuss the material requirements for the thermal protection system.

ROCKETS TESTING AND MATERIALS

major system or components of test facilities

explain breifly req of material at extreamly high temp in rockets and missle

Syllabus:
Rocket Testing: Ground Testing and Flight Testing, Types of Tests facilities and
safeguards, monitoring and control of toxic materials, instrumentation and data
management. Ground Testing, Flight Testing, Trajectory monitoring, post -accident
procedures. Description of a typical space launch vehicle launch procedure.
Materials: Criteria for selection of materials for rockets and missiles, requirements for
choice of materials for propellant tanks, liners, insulators, inhibitors, at cryogenic
temperatures, requirements of materials at extremely high temperatures, requirements of
materials for thermal protection and for pressure vessels.

5.1 Types of Rocket Testing/ Ground Testing and Flight Testing

Before rocket propulsion systems are put into operational use, they are subjected to
several different types of tests, some of which are outlined below in the sequence in which
they are normally performed.

• Manufacturing inspection and fabrication tests on individual parts (dimensional

inspection, pressure tests, x-rays, leak checks, electric continuity,
electromechanical checks, etc.).
• Component tests (functional and operational tests on igniters, valves, thrusters,
controls, injectors, structures, etc.).
• Static rocket system tests (with complete propulsion system on test stand):
🔹 Ground Testing o Partial or simulated rocket operation (for proper function, calibration,
Manufacturing inspection &

fabrication tests
ignition, operation--often without establishing full thrust or operating for the
Component tests
full duration);
Static rocket system tests

Static vehicle tests o Complete propulsion system tests (under rated conditions, off-design
🔹 Flight Testing conditions, with intentional variations in environment or calibration). For a
Developmental flight tests

Production flight tests

reusable or restartable rocket propulsion system this can include many
Range safety monitoring
starts, long-duration endurance tests, and post operational inspections and
reconditioning.
• Static vehicle tests (when rocket propulsion system is installed in a restrained,
nonflying vehicle or stage).

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Rocket Testing and Materials Basics of Rockets & Missile

• Flight tests:
o With a specially instrumented propulsion system in a developmental flight
test vehicle;
o With a production vehicle.

Each of these five types of tests can be performed on at least three basic types of programs:

• Research on and development or improvement of a new (or modified) rocket engine

or motor or their propellants or components.
• Evaluation of the suitability of a new (or modified) rocket engine or motor for a
specified application or for flight readiness.
• Production and quality assurance of a rocket propulsion system.

The first two types of programs are concerned with a novel or modified device and
often involve the testing and measurement of new concepts or phenomena using
experimental rockets. The testing of a new solid propellant grain, the development of a
novel control valve assembly, and the measurement of the thermal expansion of a nozzle
exhaust cone during firing operation are examples.

Production tests concern themselves with the measurement of a few basic

parameters on production propulsion systems to assure that the performance, reliability,
and operation are within specified tolerance limits. If the number of units is large, the test
equipment and instrumentation used for these tests are usually partly or fully automated
and designed to permit the testing, measurement, recording, and evaluation in a minimum
amount of time.

5.2 Types of Tests Facilities and Safeguards

For chemical rocket propulsion systems, each test facility usually has the following
major systems or components:

• A test cell or test bay where the article to be tested is mounted, usually in a special
test fixture. If the test is hazardous, the test facility must have provisions to protect
operating personnel and to limit damage in case of an accident.
• An instrumentation system with associated computers for sensing, maintaining,
measuring, analyzing, correcting, and recording various physical and chemical
parameters. It usually includes calibration systems and timers to accurately
synchronize the measurements.

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• A control system for starting, stopping, and changing the operating conditions.
• Systems for handling heavy or awkward assemblies, supplying liquid propellant,
and providing maintenance, security, and safety.
• For highly toxic propellants and toxic plume gases it has been required to capture
the hazardous gas or vapor (firing inside a closed duct system), remove almost all
of the hazardous ingredients (e.g., by wet scrubbing and/or chemical treatment),
allow the release of the nontoxic portion of the cleaned gases, and safely dispose of
any toxic solid or liquid residues from the chemical treatment. With an exhaust gas
containing fluorine, for example, the removal of much of this toxic gas can be
achieved by scrubbing it with water that contains dissolved calcium; it will then
form calcium fluoride, which can be precipitated and removed.
• In some tests specialized test equipment and unique facilities are needed to conduct
static testing under different environmental conditions or under simulated
emergency conditions. For example, high and low ambient temperature tests of
large motors may require a temperature-controlled enclosure around the motor; a
rugged explosion-resistant facility is needed for bullet impact tests of propellant-
loaded missile systems and also for cook-off tests, where gasoline or rocket fuel is
burned with air below a stored missile. Similarly, special equipment is needed for
vibration testing, measuring thrust vector forces and moments in three dimensions,
or determining total impulse for very short pulse durations at low thrust.

Most rocket propulsion testing is now accomplished in sophisticated facilities under

closely controlled conditions. Modern rocket test facilities are frequently located several
miles from the nearest community to prevent or minimize effects of excessive noise,
vibrations, explosions, and toxic exhaust clouds.

Figure 20-1 shows one type of an open-air test stand for vertically down-firing
large liquid propellant thrust chambers (100,000 to 2 million pounds thrust). It is best to
fire the propulsion system in a direction (vertical or horizontal) similar to the actual flight
condition.

Figure 20-2 shows a simulated altitude test facility for rockets of about 10.5 metric
tons thrust force (46,000 lbf). It requires a vacuum chamber in which to mount the engine,
a set of steam ejectors to create a vacuum, water to reduce the gas temperature, and a cooled
diffuser. With the flow of chemical rocket propellant combustion gases it is impossible to
maintain a high vacuum in these kinds of facilities; typically, between 15 to 4 torr (20 to

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35 km altitude) can be maintained. This type of test facility allows the operation of rocket
propulsion systems with high-nozzle-area ratios that would normally experience flow
separation at sea-level ambient pressures.
SAFEGUARD=
🛠️ Types of Test Facilities
Safety Protocols – Strict
Static Test Stands – For ground
handling and operational
firing of engines/motors.
procedures.

Structural Test Facilities – To

Protective Structures – Blast
check strength, vibration, and
walls, bunkers, and reinforced
loads.
shelters.

Environmental Test Facilities –

Remote Operation – Automated
T hermal, vacuum, humidity,
ignition and monitoring to avoid
and acoustic chambers.
human exposure.

Propellant Handling & Storage

Emergency Systems – Fire
Facilities – Safe storage and
suppression, evacuation, and
transfer systems.
fail‑safe shutdown.

Instrumentation & Telemetry

Range Safety Control – Ability to
Facilities – For data acquisition
terminate flight if trajectory
and monitoring.
deviates.

Launch Pads / Flight Test

Environmental Safeguards –
Ranges – For actual flight
Pollution control, safe disposal of
testing.
propellants.

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Prior to performing any test, it is common practice to train the test crew and go
through repeated dry runs, to familiarize each person with his or her responsibilities and
procedures, including the emergency procedures.

Typical personnel and plant security or safety provisions in a modern test facility
include the following:

• Concrete-walled blockhouse or control stations for the protection of personnel and

instruments remote from the actual rocket propulsion location.
• Remote control, indication, and recording of all hazardous operations and
measurements; isolation of propellants from the instrumentation and control room.
• Automatic or manual water deluge and fire-extinguishing systems.
• Closed circuit television systems for remotely viewing the test.
• Warning signals (siren, bells, horns, lights, speakers) to notify personnel to clear
the test area prior to a test, and an all-clear signal when the conditions are no longer
hazardous.
• Quantity and distance restrictions on liquid propellant tankage and solid propellant
storage to minimize damage in the event of explosions; separation of liquid fuels
and oxidizers.
• Barricades around hazardous test articles to reduce shrapnel damage in the event of
a blast.
• Explosion-proof electrical systems, spark-proof shoes, and nonspark hand tools to
prevent ignition of flammable materials.
• For certain propellants also safety clothing, including propellant- and fire-resistant
suits, face masks and shields, gloves, special shoes, and hard hats.
• Rigid enforcement of rules governing area access, smoking, safety inspections, and
so forth.
• Limitations on the number of personnel that may be in a hazardous area at any time.

5.3 Monitoring and Control of Toxic Materials

Open-air testing of chemical rockets frequently requires measurement and control
of exhaust cloud concentrations and gas movement in the surrounding areas for
safeguarding personnel, animals, and plants. A toxic cloud of gas and particles can result
from the exhaust gas of normal rocket operation, vapors or reaction gases from
unintentional propellant spills, and gases from fires, explosions, or from the intentional

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destruction of vehicles in flight or rockets on the launch stand. Environmental regulations

usually limit the maximum local concentration or the total quantity of toxic gas or
particulates released to the atmosphere. One method of control is for tests with discharges
of moderately toxic gases or products to be postponed until favorable weather conditions
are present.

In ground tests, the toxic cloud source is treated as a point source, and in flight tests
it is a ribbon source. The rate of exhaust cloud diffusion is influenced by many propulsion
variables, including propellant, rocket size, exhaust temperature, and thrust duration; by
many atmospheric variables, including wind velocity, direction, turbulence, humidity, and
vertical stability or lapse rate, and by the surrounding terrain. Extensive analytical studies
and measurements of the environmental exposure from explosions, industrial smoke, and
gases, and exhausts from missile and space vehicle launchings give background useful for
predicting the atmospheric diffusion and downwind concentrations of rocket exhaust
clouds.

A few definitions basic to the study of atmospheric diffusion of exhaust clouds are as
follows:

• Micrometeorology. Study and forecasting of atmospheric phenomena restricted to

a region approximately 300 m above the earth's surface and a horizontal distance of
approximately 5 miles.
• Lapse Rate. The rate of decrease in temperature with increasing height above the
earth's surface. The United States Standard Atmosphere has a lapse rate of about
6.4°C per 1000 m. Lapse rate is also affected by altitude, wind, and humidity.
• Inversion, or Inversion Layer. Condition of negative lapse rate (temperature
increases with increasing height). Usually formed near the ground at night.

The following are a few general rules and observations derived from experience
with the atmospheric diffusion of rocket exhaust clouds:

• Inversion presents a very stable layer and greatly reduces the vertical dispersion
(the higher the lapse rate, the greater the vertical dispersion).
• A highly stable atmospheric condition tends to keep the exhaust plume or cloud
intact and away from the earth's surface except when the exhaust products are much
heavier than the surrounding air.
• High wind increases the rate of diffusion and reduces the thermal effects.

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• For short firings (< 500 sec) the approximate dosages downwind are about the same
as from an instantaneous point source.
• When the plume reaches about one-fourth the distance to a given point before
emission is stopped, peak concentration will be about three fourths of that from a
continuous source of equal strength.
• The presence of an inversion layer significantly restricts the mixing or diffusion
capacity of the atmosphere in that the effective air mass is that mass existing
between the earth's surface and the inversion layer.
• Penetration of the inversion layer due to the buoyance force of the hot exhaust cloud
seldom occurs.
• Earth surface dosage drops rapidly when missiles or space launch vehicles are
destroyed in flight above a height of 1500 m as compared to lower altitudes of 600
to 1000 m.

Interpretation of the hazard that exists once the concentration of the toxic agent is
known also requires knowledge of its effects on the human body, plants, and animals. There
are usually three limits of interest: one for the short-time exposure of the general public,
one for an 8-hr exposure limit, and an evacuation concentration. Depending on the toxic
chemical, the 8-hr limit may vary from 5000 ppm for a gas such as carbon dioxide, to less
than 1 ppm for an extremely toxic substance such as fluorine. Poisoning of the human body
by exhaust products usually occurs from inhalation of the gases and fine solid particles, but
the solid residuals that sometimes remain around a test facility for weeks or months
following a test firing can enter the body through cuts and other avenues.

5.4 Instrumentation and Data Management

Some of the physical quantities measured in rocket testing are as follows:

• Forces (thrust, thrust vector control side forces, short thrust pulses).
• Flows (hot and cold gases, liquid fuel, liquid oxidizer, leakage).
• Pressures (chamber, propellant, pump, tank, etc.).
• Temperatures (chamber walls, propellant, structure, nozzle).
• Timing and command sequencing of valves, switches, igniters, etc.
• Stresses, strains, and vibrations (combustion chamber, structures, propellant lines,
accelerations of vibrating parts).
• Time sequence of events (ignition, attainments of full pressure).

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• Movement and position of parts (valve stems, gimbal position, deflection of parts
under load or heat).
• Voltages, frequencies, and currents in electrical or control subsystems.
• Visual observations (flame configuration, test article failures, explosions) using
high-speed cameras or video cameras.
• Special quantities such as turbopump shaft speed, liquid levels in propellant tanks,
burning rates, flame luminosity, or exhaust gas composition.

Measurement System Terminology:

Each measurement or each measuring system usually requires one or more sensing
elements (often called transducers or pickups), a device for recording, displaying, and/or
indicating the sensed information, and often also another device for conditioning,
amplifying, correcting, or transforming the sensed signal into the form suitable for
recording, indicating, display, or analysis. Recording of rocket test data has been performed
in several ways, such as on chart recorders or in digital form on memory devices, such as
on magnetic tapes or disks.

Range refers to the region extending from the minimum to the maximum rated value
over which the measurement system will give a true and linear response. Usually an
additional margin is provided to permit temporary overloads without damage to the
instrument or need for recalibration.

Errors in measurements are usually of two types: (1) human errors of improperly
reading the instrument, chart, or record and of improperly interpreting or correcting these
data, and (2) instrument or system errors, which usually fall into four classifications: static
errors, dynamic response errors, drift errors, and hysteresis errors. Static errors are usually
fixed errors due to fabrication and installation variations; these errors can usually be
detected by careful calibration, and an appropriate correction can then be applied to the
reading. Drift error is the change in output over a period of time, usually caused by random
wander and environmental conditions. To avoid drift error the measuring system has to be
calibrated at frequent intervals at standard environmental conditions against known
standard reference values over its whole range. Dynamic response errors occur when the
measuring system fails to register the true value of the measured quantity while this
quantity is changing, particularly when it is changing rapidly.

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A maximum frequency response refers to the maximum frequency (usually in

cycles per second) at which the instrument system will measure true values. The natural
frequency of the measuring system is usually above the limiting response frequency.
Generally, a high-frequency response requires more complex and expensive
instrumentation. All of the instrument system (sensing elements, modulators, and
recorders) must be capable of a fast response. Most of the measurements in rocket testing
are made with one of two types of instruments: those made under nearly steady static
conditions, where only relatively gradual changes in the quantities occur, and those made
with fast transient conditions, such as rocket starting, stopping. This latter type of
instrument has frequency responses above 200 Hz, sometimes as high as 20,000 Hz. These
fast measurements are necessary to evaluate the physical phenomena of rapid transients.

Linearity of the instrument refers to the ratio of the input (usually pressure,
temperature, force, etc.) to the output (usually voltage, output display change, etc.) over the
range of the instrument. Very often the static calibration error indicates a deviation from a
truly linear response. A nonlinear response can cause appreciable errors in dynamic
measurements. Resolution refers to the minimum change in the measured quantity that can
be detected with a given instrument. Dead zone or hysteresis errors are often caused by
energy absorption within the instrument system or play in the instrument mechanism; in
part, they limit the resolution of the instrument.

Sensitivity refers to the change in response or reading caused by special influences.

For example, the temperature sensitivity and the acceleration sensitivity refer to the change
in measured value caused by temperature and acceleration. These are usually expressed in
percent change of measured value per unit of temperature or acceleration. This information
can serve to correct readings to reference or standard conditions.

Use of Computers:

Computers have become commonplace in the testing and handling of data in rocket
propulsion. They are usually coupled with sensors (e.g., pressure transducers, actuator
position indicators, temperature sensors, liquid level gauges, etc.), which provide the data
inputs, with controllers (valve actuators, thrust vector controllers, thrust termination
devices), which receive commands resulting from the computer outputs causing a change
in the sensed quantity, and with auxiliaries such as terminals, data storage devices, or
printers. Computers are used in one or more of the following ways:

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• The analysis of test data becomes a time-consuming difficult job without

computers, simply because of the huge volume of data that is generated in many
typical rocket propulsion system tests. All the pertinent data need to be reviewed
and evaluated. The computer will permit automated data reduction, including data
correction (e.g., for known instrument error, calibration, or changes in atmospheric
pressure), conversion of analog data into digital form, and filtering of data to
eliminate signals outside the range of interest. It can also include data manipulation
to put the test information into graphic displays or summary hard-copy readouts of
selected, specific performance parameters.
• Modern testing systems use digital data bases for recording and documenting test
records. Often only a portion of the recorded data is actually analyzed and reviewed
during or after the test. In complex rocket propulsion system tests, sometimes
between 100 or 400 different instrument measurements are made and recorded.
Some data need to be sampled frequently (e.g., some transients may be sampled at
rates higher than 1000 times per second), whereas other data need to be taken at
lower frequencies (e.g., temperature of mounting structure may be needed only
every 1 to 10 sec).
• Sensing and evaluating failures or overlimit conditions (excessive local
temperature, vibration, or limiting local pressure) is aimed at detecting an
impending malfunction and at deciding whether it is a serious problem. If serious,
it can cause either an automatic correction or an automatic and safe shutdown of
operation. Sensing of undesirable operating conditions can be accomplished much
more rapidly on a computer than would be possible if a human operator were in the
control loop.
• Simulation of tests can be accomplished by devising algorithms that allow a
computer to respond in a manner similar to a rocket propulsion unit. The computer
receives inputs from various sensors (valve position, thrust vector control position,
unsafe temperatures, etc.), processes the data in a simulation algorithm, and then
provides output of control signals (e.g., thrust change, shutdown) and also of
simulated rocket performance (e.g., chamber pressure, specific impulse, side force,
etc.).
• Control of test operation by computer allows the attainment of the desired test
conditions in a minimum amount of time. This could entail a preprogrammed set of
pulses for an attitude control thruster, a desired set of different mixture ratios to be

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achieved for a short time (say, 1 sec each) in a single test, or a planned variation of
thrust vector control conditions.

5.5 Flight Testing

Flight testing of rocket propulsion systems is always conducted in conjunction with
tests of vehicles and other systems such as guidance, vehicle controls, or ground support.
These flights usually occur along missile and space launch ranges, sometimes over the
ocean. If a flight test vehicle deviates from its intended path and appears to be headed for
a populated area, a range safety official (or a computer) will have to either cause a
destruction of the vehicle, abort the flight, or cause it to correct its course. Many propulsion
systems therefore include devices that will either terminate the operation (shut off the
rocket engine or open thrust termination openings into rocket motor cases) or trigger
explosive devices that will cause the vehicle (and therefore also the propulsion system) to
disintegrate in flight.

Flight testing requires special launch support equipment, means for observing,
monitoring, and recording data (cameras, radar, telemetering, etc.), equipment for assuring
range safety and for reducing data and evaluating flight test performance, and specially
trained personnel. Different launch equipment is needed for different kinds of vehicles.
This includes launch tubes for shoulder-held infantry support missile launchers, movable
turret-type mounted multiple launchers installed on an army truck or a navy ship, a
transporter for larger missiles, and a track-propelled launch platform or fixed complex
launch pads for spacecraft launch vehicles. The launch equipment has to have provisions
for loading or placing the vehicle into a launch position, for allowing access of various
equipment and connections to launch support equipment (checkout, monitoring, fueling,
etc.), for aligning or aiming the vehicle, or for withstanding the exposure to the hot rocket
plume at launch.

During experimental flights extensive measurements are often made on the

behavior of the various vehicle subsystems; for example, rocket propulsion parameters,
such as chamber pressure, feed pressures, temperatures, and so on, are measured and the
data are telemetered and transmitted to a ground receiving station for recording and
monitoring. Some flight tests rely on salvaging and examining the test vehicle.

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5.6 Post-Accident Procedures

In the testing of any rocket propulsion system there will invariably be failures,
particularly when some of the operating parameters are close to their limit. With each
failure comes an opportunity to learn more about the design, the materials, the propulsion
performance, the fabrication methods, or the test procedures. A careful and thorough
investigation of each failure is needed to learn the likely causes and identify the remedies
or fixes to prevent a similar failure in the future. The lessons to be learned from these
failures are perhaps the most important benefits of testing. A formalized post-accident
approach is often used, particularly if the failure had a major impact, such as high cost,
major damage, or personnel injury. A major failure (e.g., the loss of a space launch vehicle
or severe damage to a test facility) often causes the program to be stopped and further
testing or flights put on hold until the cause of the failure is determined and remedial action
has been taken to prevent a recurrence.

Of utmost concern immediately after a major failure are the steps that need to be
taken to respond to the emergency. This includes giving first aid to injured personnel,
bringing the propulsion system and/or the test facilities to a safe, stable condition, limiting
further damage from chemical hazards to the facility or the environment, working with
local fire departments, medical or emergency maintenance staff or ambulance personnel,
and debris clearing crews, and quickly providing factual statements to the management, the
employees , the news media, and the public. It also includes controlling access to the facility
where the failure has occurred and preserving evidence for the subsequent investigation.
All test personnel, particularly the supervisory people, need to be trained not only in
preventing accidents and minimizing the impact of a potential failure, but also how to best
respond to the emergency.

5.7 Description of a Typical Space Launch Vehicle Launch

Procedure
Satellites stay in space for most of their life time. We know that the environment of
weightlessness is present in the space. That’s why satellites don’t require additional strong
frames in space. But, those are required during launching process. Because in that process
satellite shakes violently, till the satellite has been placed in a proper orbit. The design of
satellites should be compatible with one or more launch vehicles in order to place the
satellite in an orbit. We know that the period of revolution will be more for higher apogee

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altitude according to Kepler’s second law. The period of geostationary transfer orbit is
nearly equal to 16 hours. If perigee is increased to GEO altitude (around 36,000 km), then
the period of revolution will increase to 24 hours.

Satellite Launch Procedure:

The four orbit stages involved in the satellite launch procedure are as follows:

• Circular low earth orbit

• Hohmann elliptical transfer orbit
• Intermediate drift orbit
• Circular Geostationary orbit

Figure depicts typical satellite launch procedure followed by space companies such
as ISRO. Following are the major steps involved in the launch process.

➨Step-1: The launch vehicle takes the satellite into low earth orbit. The satellite is injected
into desired 3-axes stabilized mode to achieve gyro condition using commands issued by
launch vehicle to carry pyro firing.

➨Step-2: After satellite reaches apogee AKM is fired for long duration to take satellite to
intermediate orbit. This intermediate orbit is referred as transfer orbit. AKM is the short
form of Apogee Kick Motor which contains liquid fuel.

➨Step-3: The second apogee motor firing is carried out so that satellite attains needed
angular velocity and acceleration for Geo-synchronization. This helps satellite to be in LOS
from central earth stations. If required it is tracked through other countries earth stations.
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➨Step-4: Further stabilization and attitude control is achieved using control of

momentum/reaction wheels. Antennas and transponders are turned on which brings
satellite into stabilized geostationary orbit. Examples of geostationary satellites are
INTELSAT, COMSAT, INSAT etc.

➨Once the satellite is placed in the parking space (i.e. designated orbit), following
activities need to be performed as part of maintenance.

➨Orbit maintenance• Attitude maintenance• Thermal management• Power management•

battery maintenance• Payload operations• Software requirement.

Satellite Launch Vehicles:

Satellite launch vehicles launch the satellites into a particular orbit based on the
requirement. Satellite launch vehicles are nothing but multi stage rockets. Following are
the two types of satellite launch vehicles.

• Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV): Expendable launch vehicles (ELV) get

destroyed after leaving the satellites in space.
• Reusable launch vehicles (RLV): this can be used multiple times for launching
satellites. Generally, this type of launch vehicles will return back to earth after
leaving the satellite in space.

5.8 Criteria for Selection of Materials for Rockets and Missiles

The selection criteria for materials for rockets are:

• High strength at elevated temperature

• Ease of fabrication
• High thermal conductivity
• Resistance to chemical action to vapours
• High specific heat
• Resistance to corrosion
• Resistance to mechanical and thermal shock
• High melting point
• Low thermal expansion
• Good vibration resistance.

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Selection criteria for materials for space craft structures:

• Extreme working temperature

• High value of strength to weight ratio
• Strength should not deteriorate at extreme temperature to lower acceptable limit
• The material can able to withstand,
• Shock or pressure load
• Thermal load
• Impact loads
• Material should not lose its properties when exposed to cyclic loads.

5.8 Post‑Accident Procedures

Immediate Safety Measures – Evacuate personnel, secure the site, and prevent secondary

hazards (fire, explosion, toxic release).

Medical Aid – Provide first aid and emergency treatment to injured personnel.

Accident Site Control – Isolate and cordon off the area; restrict unauthorized access.

Data Preservation – Secure telemetry, instrumentation records, and test logs for investigation.

Damage Assessment – Inspect hardware, facilities, and environment for extent of damage.

Cause Investigation – Form inquiry board to analyze failure, collect evidence, and identify root

cause.

Reporting – Prepare detailed accident report for authorities and stakeholders.

Corrective Actions – Implement design, operational, or procedural changes to prevent recurrence.

Launch Procedure (Short)

Pre‑Launch

Countdown & Ignition – Final checks, engine/booster ignition.

– Vehicle clears tower, guided ascent, Max

Staging – Burnout and separation of stages/boosters.

Trajectory Control – Guidance ensures correct velocity and path.

Orbit Insertion – Final stage achieves target orbit.

Payload Deployment – Satellite/spacecraft released.

Post‑Launch

,.

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