Reliability and Safety Assessments of the Satellite Separation Process of a Typical Launch Vehicle

Abstract

This paper presents in brief the formulation of the rigid body separation dynamics that are useful for the design and analysis of satellite separation systems using the helical compression spring mechanism. In satellite launch vehicle chronology, safe injection of the satellite into the desirable orbit is an important final task. The body rate of the satellite during separation should be within the satellite control capabilities. The Taguchi method is employed in order to understand the influencing parameters in the separation process. Statistical analysis has been carried out to identify the probability distribution function for reliability and safety assessment of the satellite separation of a launch vehicle. Using the response surface method (RSM), an empirical relation is obtained for the body rate of the satellite in terms of the 28 physical parameters. The RSM results are compared with the Taguchi simulation results. Reliability and safety assessments are made on the satellite separation of a typical launch vehicle.

Keywords

body rate helical compression springs launch vehicle relative distance relative velocity response surface method satellite separation system Taguchi method

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