The NASA Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) uses an omniaxial flexible seal for vectoring the nozzle. This flexible seal, being built under the technical management of Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is the first ever to be used on a manned spacecraft booster. Since no test history on the particular type of flexible seal being used was available and since flexible seal dynamics characteristics affect many vehicle hardware design and manufacture requirements, a rigorous test program to assess the integrity and operating characteristics of the seal was developed and executed. Vector requirements of the SRM flexible seal and results of subscale and full-scale prototype seal verification tests are included. The advantages of an improved method of calculating actuator stroke versus vector angle and pressure over the more classical method of calculating actuator strokes using pivot point envelopes are discussed. Results presented show that the SRM seal design will satisfy flight requirements.


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    Title :

    Space Shuttle Solid Rocket booster nozzle flexible seal pivot point dynamics


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Propulsion Conference ; 1977 ; Orlando, FL, US


    Publication date :

    1977-07-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English