Falcon is Healthy,Few Tweaks Will Suffice to Fly the Next Mission in 2011

Defense Update ^ | 11/16/2010 | Defense Update

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Six months after the first test flight of the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle’s (HTV-2) which failed to meet its objective, an independent Engineering Review Board (ERB) identified the anomaly that caused the vehicle to exceeding the design flight control envelope. “No major changes to the vehicle or software are required to mitigate the first flight anomaly” said David Neyland, DARPA Tactical Technology Office director, “Engineers will adjust the vehicle’s center of gravity, decrease the angle of attack flown and use the onboard reaction control system to augment the vehicle flaps when HTV-2 flies next summer” Neyland added.

DARPA is planning to repeat the test in late 2011 trying to complete a 30 minute hypersonic flight at speeds reaching Mach 20, covering about 3,000 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean. The first flight was terminated prematurely, about 9 minutes after launch.

Detailed analysis conducted by the ERB revealed that the most probable cause of the HTV-2 flight anomaly was higher-than-predicted yaw, which coupled into roll thus exceeding the available control capability at the time of the anomaly. “The HTV-2 flight anomaly is characterized as a slow divergence about the longitudinal axis (in roll) which continued until the roll rate reached a threshold where the autonomous flight system commanded flight termination.” The report explained. The review acknowledges data on the relevant aerodynamic parameters for this specific flight regime were limited.

[Talisker]

The Falcon HTV-2 hypervelocity vehicle could glide at a speed at Mach 20, reaching targets 4,000 nautical miles away in 30 minutes. Image: DARPA

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

It would be a great addition to our inventory.

[TomasUSMC]

they just lost it