Damage post-effect evaluation on a spinning rocket with laser ablation

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive modeling framework for evaluating the post-damage aerodynamic and ballistic performance of a spinning rocket subjected to laser ablation. A damage configuration model is established based on the mechanisms of laser-material interaction, and a CFD-based method is employed to analyze the quasi-steady aerodynamic characteristics under various damage scenarios. To capture trajectory-level effects, a dynamic simulation combining unsteady aerodynamics and six-degree-of-freedom flight dynamics is developed. A performance evaluation framework is further proposed using impact point dispersion as the key metric. Simulation results indicate that damage to the differential control surfaces leads to a reduction in lift of up to 45%, while damage to all fins (Configuration 8) reduces the lift-to-drag ratio by 39.7% and the range by 17.6%. Notably, ablative damage during the boost phase causes trajectory deviations exceeding 1000 m, whereas the same damage during the terminal phase results in deviations under 100 m. In representative cases, the impact point standard deviation increases by 25.3%–41.6%, with mean deviations of up to 520 m. These findings validate the framework’s capability to assess aerodynamic degradation and guide tactical application of high-energy laser systems against maneuvering targets.