Testing

Testing

Once created, systems and subsystems will have to be carefully tested, checking for defects, design errors, model predictions, programming errors, and performance. In this page, we detail what will have to be tested for each subsystem, and how it can be done with a minimal cost.

Structure

Wings

Wings will have to sustain the mass of the rocket at accelerations from -2g to +4g. They will have to support heavy curving, and this can be tested by fixing the joint and putting a weight on the edge of wings. This weight will be calculated from the lift, mass and maximal acceleration that has to be endured.

Rocket body

Rocket body constraints are quite hard to calculate. Air pressure is the main problem, and happens in two ways:

  * on the fairing during normal operation due to speed,
  * on the body, when actuating the engine (or other) to modify pitch or yaw of the rocket. This force can be pretty intense when speed is mach3. Fortunately, launching from a plane will reduce air density drastically.

Joint between wings and body

The wings and the body have to be tightly coupled, to sustain the inertia of the heavy body. It also has to be simple enough to be separated for staging.

Plane engines

Physical property

Thrust, temperature. Long-term running validation (150% of available fuel at least).