This project will apply advanced technology to develop an inexpensive, instrumented rocket for measuring wind profiles in support of aerospace vehicle (STS) operations. The goal is a system that will allow measurement of winds close to the scheduled launch time and along the launch path. This would reduce the uncertainty margin of calculated wind loads, increase launch probability (7 to 8 percent), and decrease the risk of launching under adverse wind conditions. Shuttle pre-launch winds are typically measured with slow-rising Jimsphere balloons released some 3.5 hours before launch; these can drift miles on a day of strong winds. Accurate wind profiles can be obtained with an instrumented aircraft in approximately 10 minutes, albeit at high cost. A small, instrumented rocket can be directed specifically along the shuttle launch path to measure wind-speeds well within the desired 10-minute time frame.
Potential Commercial Applications: The wind profiler could be applied in STS, commercial launch vehicles, USAF unmanned aerospace vehicles, and military operations on land or sea. It could also be applied in determining NASP high-altitude wind-profile requirements and EOS ground-truth for remote areas.STATUS: Phase I Only
