• DARPA Hypersonic Vehicle Splash Down Confirmed
    19 replies, posted
[RELEASE]DARPA HYPERSONIC VEHICLE SPLASH DOWN CONFIRMED August 14, 2011 Flight 1 engineering changes believed effective On Thursday, 11 August, the HTV-2 experienced a flight anomaly post perigee and into the vehicle’s climb. The anomaly prompted the vehicle’s autonomous flight safety system to use the craft’s aerodynamic systems to make a controlled descent and splash down into the ocean. Controlled descent is a term typically associated with a human-in-the-loop directing or guiding the unscheduled landing of an aircraft. For DARPA’s Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) controlled descent takes on new meaning thanks to the vehicle’s safety system. “We’ve confirmed that the HTV-2 made impact with the Pacific Ocean along its flight trajectory as planned in the event of an anomaly,” explained Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz, DARPA HTV-2 program manager and PhD in aerospace engineering. “This flight safety system is a significant engineering advance in that the system prompts a vehicle to monitor the parameters under which it is operating and exercise safety protocols completely autonomously should those parameters be breached.” “According to a preliminary review of the data collected prior to the anomaly encountered by the HTV-2 during its second test flight,” said DARPA Director Regina Dugan, “HTV-2 demonstrated stable aerodynamically controlled Mach 20 hypersonic flight for approximately three minutes. It appears that the engineering changes put into place following the vehicle’s first flight test in April 2010 were effective. We do not yet know the cause of the anomaly for Flight 2.” A detailed analysis conducted by an independent Engineering Review Board following the first flight test, prompted engineers to adjust the vehicle’s center of gravity, decrease the angle of attack flown and use the onboard reaction control systems to augment vehicle flaps during the vehicle’s second flight test. Those changes appear to have been effective. “An initial assessment indicates,” said Schulz, “that the Flight 2 anomaly is unrelated to the Flight 1 anomaly.” During the reentry phase of the flight plan, the craft is traveling at Mach 20, under extreme conditions as it attempts to enter the glide phase of flight. In the coming weeks an independent ERB will investigate the most probable causes of the new anomaly encountered during the second test flight of HTV-2. [/RELEASE] Source: [url]http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2011/2011/09/11_DARPA_HYPERSONIC_VEHICLE_SPLASH_DOWN_CONFIRMED.aspx[/url]
DARPA is sexy
So it proved the idea, but the test still failed to meet all the desired parameters. I'd read that if this didn't go well, the project was probably going to be canned. Now I don't know what is going to happen.
At least it can fly better.
I'm still translating "controlled Descent" as "self-destruct by high-speed impact into the ocean".
[QUOTE=MIPS;31817652]I'm still translating "controlled Descent" as "self-destruct by high-speed impact into the ocean".[/QUOTE] I agree so did it survive or not?
Hmm, good. It failed, but successfully smashed itself! :eng101:
I really wonder if this was really an accident. It would make an excellent weapon so i think it was a test of some sort...
[QUOTE=MightyMax;31819198]I really wonder if this was really an accident. It would make an excellent weapon so i think it was a test of some sort...[/QUOTE] ...of course it was a test? ...of course it's being planned for military use? What do you think it was a secret attack on the Dolphin Democratic Republic?
[QUOTE=Contag;31819252]...of course it was a test? ...of course it's being planned for military use? What do you think it was a secret attack on the Dolphin Democratic Republic?[/QUOTE] Of course
[QUOTE=Contag;31819252]...of course it was a test? ...of course it's being planned for military use? What do you think it was a secret attack on the Dolphin Democratic Republic?[/QUOTE] You don't know man, those dolphins are planning something
[QUOTE=MightyMax;31819198]I really wonder if this was really an accident. It would make an excellent weapon so i think it was a test of some sort...[/QUOTE] I think it was more intended to test a safety system that could help keep a plane from tearing itself apart and killing the passengers in a splashdown.
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;31819354]I think it was more intended to test a safety system that could help keep a plane from tearing itself apart and killing the passengers in a splashdown.[/QUOTE] it's supposed to be unmanned, wasn't it?
The better keep on testing til they get it right. Otherwise, the tax payer dollars spend so far will only have gone to waste. Plus the idea of vehicle reaching any place on Earth in about 30 minutes is really fucking cool.
[QUOTE=MeMassiveFag;31819372]it's supposed to be unmanned, wasn't it?[/QUOTE] It's better to think of it as a missile than anything. [editline]19th August 2011[/editline] The hypersonic aircraft (as in, that which carries humans) failed to get additional funding as the concept hasn't been proven enough to justify the funds.
Makes me wonder how big of a splash and how tall the resulting waves would be :v:
[QUOTE=MaveDustaine;31821113]Makes me wonder how big of a splash and how tall the resulting waves would be :v:[/QUOTE] Not much probably. Hitting water at that speed probably just completely disintegrated most of the parts on impact. At that speed hitting water is like hitting a sea of iron. Not to mention the temperature difference and all that.
OF course it's going to be unmanned, nobody would survive an acceleration of MACH 20 in such a short time.
[QUOTE=commander204;31821235]OF course it's going to be unmanned, nobody would survive an acceleration of MACH 20 in such a short time.[/QUOTE] The space shuttle goes to Mach 25.
[QUOTE=commander204;31821235]OF course it's going to be unmanned, nobody would survive an acceleration of MACH 20 in such a short time.[/QUOTE] Haha a dude's spine would likely fly out of his back That or he'd get fucking pancaked against his seat.
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