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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 0415.PDF
The S-IV stage is powered by six RLIO liquid-hydrogen engines and is produced at the Santa Monica plant of Douglas Aircraft Co Missiles and Spaceflight 262 FLIGHT International, 13 February 194,4 Optical systems The SA-5 vehicle carried optical systems consisting of eight motion picture cameras and one television camera. These cameras viewed the interior of two lox tanks, first-stage separation, retro-rocket firing and S-IV stage ullage motor and propulsion system operation. All cameras were mounted on the perimeter of the spider beam assembly (the main structural member at the top of the S-I stage) and were slanted outward for ejection. All carried colour film with the exception of those monitoring the interior of the two lox tanks. This is the first time that such elaborate optical instrumenta- tion has been carried on a US launch vehicle. The cameras were to provide a visual record of events in several critical areas of the rocket, especially the activities involved in the separation of the S-I and S-IV stages and in the ignition of the six RL-10 engines in the second stage. Similar camera systems will be carried on the forthcoming SA-6 and SA-7 nights. This technique is being developed to assure that all possible information is gleaned from each launch, in view of the greatly reduced number of research and development firings possible with rockets of this size. The advantages of photography are that high picture resolu- tion is obtainable, in full colour if desired, and action may be photographed at a high frame rate and viewed later in slow motion. A chief advantage of in-flight television coverage is that the image is viewed initially in real-time, and can be used as a basis for human decisions. Two film cameras view the interior of two of the lox tanks (the centre and one outer) by means of optical-fibre bundles. Four cameras view forward along the outside of the vehicle to monitor retro-rocket and ullage rocket firing, coasting and firing of the S-IV stage. The third interior camera views separation of the stages and the piping of engine number four, and the fourth camera uses an optical-fibre bundle to monitor the effect of the solid-oxygen/gaseous-oxygen disposal system. The external-view cameras and the camera monitoring the engine piping operate at 64 frames per sec; the cameras film- ing the outer lox tank and the lox-gox system operate at 24 frames per sec; and the remaining camera runs at 12 frames per sec. The two cameras viewing the lox tank interiors start at ignition. The other six start about 40sec before the booster separates from the S-IV and continue to run for about 20sec after separation. The optical-fibre bundles are made up of about 675,000 optical-quality, cladded glass-fibres (one micron in diameter) fused together in blocks of 36 fibres each. Those blocks are encased in hydraulic hose with stainless-steel wire braided over a Teflon core. Each camera is enclosed in a camera capsule with an optically clear quartz window at the forward end. Images are recorded on 16mm film in a compact, Milliken-built camera. The cameras are powered by 28 volts d.c. supplied by the booster's electrical system. Interiors of the lox tanks are lit by 30-volt, 250-watt lamps with Pyrex windows in canisters 12in long and 6in in diameter. Strobe lights are used with the camera monitoring the plumbing of the Number 4 engine. The strobe unit provides 16 high-intensity flashes per sec, synchronized with the camera shutter to illuminate every fourth frame. All eight film cameras were ejected at about 400,000ft altitude from individual ejection tubes. Ejection was to occur about 20sec after stage separation and about 125 miles down- range. Each recovery capsule consisted of an aluminium shell, a quartz window, the camera, re-entry equipment and recovery aids. Several O-rings were used to prevent water leakage around the window after re-entry and impact. An inner lining of lightweight, insulation material was designed to keep the internal temperature at an acceptable level, and the capsule shell was waterproofed to withstand salt-water immersion. The lens alao was immersion-proofed to prevent film damage if the quartz window were to be broken on impact or during recovery. Each capsule carried eight stabilization and deceleration flaps which were extended by spring action and locked at a 30° angle upon ejection from the tube. The capsules were expected to re-enter the atmosphere at about Mach 10, and impact in the Atlantic Ocean about 500 miles from the launch site. Ships and aircraft were stationed in the impact area to watch for the falling capsules and make speedy recovery. Para-divers were to attach additional flotation devices to the capsules when they were reached. The primary recovery aid, NASA states, was the SARAH beacon. A self-erecting spring-steel aerial in the transmitter case on top of the balloon is deployed at 14,000ft. At 14,000ft a para-balloon is inflated by a high-pressure gas container. This shears the cover retaining screws and jettisons the flaps. The balloon then serves as the stabilizer and decelerates the capsule's velocity to about 90ft/sec before impact. Alternate panels of the balloon are coloured orange for easy sighting in sunlight. The other panels are coated with white glass beads for easy spotting with a searchlight at night. Upon contact with water, a yellow-green fluorescent dye is released, as well as a water-soluble plug of shark-repellant. Packed together with the radio transmitter is a high-intensity flashing light which produces a flash every 2sec. The television system is designed to provide real-time visual information on the functioning of selected items and to provide a permanent visual record for future study and analysis. The camera operates at 30 frames per sec, beginning before lift-off and running until the S-I impacts. The television camera is not ejected. Images are recorded on video tape at the ground monitoring station, and a kinescope record will be kept as a backup to the video tape recordings. The camera, equipped with a 12.5mm lens, is mounted forward on the spider beam in position to monitor staging and ejection of two motion-picture camera capsules. Global tracking An unusual combination of tracking and data acquisition facilities is being used to track the SA-5 orbital vehicle. Portions of the Manned Space Flight Network and of the Satellite Tracking and Data Acquisition Network (formerly the Minitrack network) are supported by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Network and elements of the Department of Defense national ranges. The Smithsonian network is supplying orbital tracking infor- mation through the use of its Baker-Nunn cameras. DoD partici- pating stations are at Hawaii, Point Arguello, White Sands, Corpus Christi, Cape Kennedy and certain other stations of the Atlantic Missile Range. The manned spaceflight stations involved include those located at Bermuda, Canary Islands, Woomera, and Guaymas, while NASA's new dual-purpose tracking station at Carnarvon, Australia, also was scheduled to be operational. These stations were to record telemetry for one orbit and "skin-track" with C-band and S-band radar for an indefinite period. The pre-count, countdown and first two orbits were treated in a manner similar to the Mercury Atlas missions, with the network under the control of a director at the Space Operations Control Center at Goddard Space Flight Center.
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