From: vince@offshore.ai (Vincent Cate)
Newsgroups: sci.space.tech
Subject: Re: High Altitude Launch
References: <20021213081848.23210.00000028@mb-ff.aol.com> <20021214220632.17520.00000023@mb-ck.aol.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.42.133.230
Message-ID: <9186edb5.0212301454.39ed2b6@posting.google.com>

I have a simulator on the web (Java applet) that can model a rocket
launch with drag.  For a small rocket, a high altitude launch seem to
help a lot.

If anyone wants to try it out, go to
http://spacetethers.com/spacetethers.html and click on "SSTO 0km" and
"Start Simulation".  Other interesting ones are "SSTO 20km", "Rocket
0km", and "Rocket 20km".  Between simulations you need to refresh the
web page to start over (still features to add to the code).   You can
change values for drag coefficient, effective area, total mass,
dry-mass-ratio, ISP, etc.  It can simulate any number of objects at
once, so you can compare variations easily.

This simulator is new and in no way verified or certified.  If anyone
can give me numbers for a real rocket that could be used to test the
accuracy of my simulator I would really appreciate it.

In the simulator the rocket thrust is always in the direction of the
current velocity vector.  I guess that for most rockets this is not
too far off.  Any info?

It can also simulate projectiles.  If anyone has data on projectiles
going through the atmosphere that could also help me validate the
simulator.

I like the idea of a small single stage reusable rocket that goes from
a high altitude launch to a rotating tether.  I am calling it "Single
Stage To Tether" or SSTT.  :-)   I am trying to simulate the parts of
such a system.  See http://spacetethers.com/ for more info.  Any help
appreciated.

   -- Vince

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Vincent Cate                           Space Tether Enthusiast 
 vince@offshore.ai                      http://spacetethers.com/
 Anguilla, East Caribbean               http://offshore.ai/vince
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You have to take life as it happens, but you should try to make it
happen the way you want to take it.    - German Proverb