11/26/2016

Howarerocketstagesseparatedfromeachother?Quora
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Howarerocketstagesseparatedfromeachother?

RelatedQuestions
Couldyoumakearocketthatshedsmassinmany
smallstages,ratherthaninafewlargestages?

Whatisthemechanismused?

Howdostagesinarocketseparatewithoutlossof
thrust?

1Answer

Haveanyrocketsgottentoorbitwithonlyonerocket
engineinthefirststage?Ifso,whichhadtheheaviest
masstoorbit?

AbhijeetRathore,WorkedasStructuralEnginnerinISRO
WrittenAug3,2015

Therearetwopartsofastageseparation
1.Actuation&Releasemechanism
2.Jettisonsystem

AmericanandRussianrocketslookverydifferent
fromeachother.Couldthisbetheresultofacultural
difference?
Doesthefirststageofarocketburnonreentryor
crashsomewhereafterseparation?

Mostseparationmechanismsusepyroenergytoactuateand/orseparatethestages.
ActuationandRelease
1.FLSC(Flexiblelinearshapedcharge)wherethedetonatingchargeisfilledina
flexibletube,usuallyconicalincrosssection.Whenignited,thechargeimpartshuge
concentratedforceonanelementsuchasbolts,rivetsorstructureitself,severingitfora
cleanseparation.Usedinlowerstageseparations.
2.RLSCSimilartoFLSC(replaceFlexiblebyRigid).Usedinupperstagesorheatshield
separations.
3.BalllockmechanismTwometalringsattachedtotwodifferentstagesarelocked
togetherusingmetallicballs.Oneoftheringhasthroughholesfortheballstoradiallygo
out.Theholesaremadeoffsetfromtheballs,sothatwithoutahugeforcetheringscannot
separate.Apyrodevicerotatesthering,bringingtheballsinlinewiththeholesand
separatingtherings.Usedinupperstages.
4.MermanbandsystemRingsofadjacentstagesareCLAMPEDtogetherusinga
band(justlikeawaistbelt).Theclampingforceisresistedbybolts,whichareseveredwith
pyroforceatthetimeofseparation.Usedinheatshieldsmostly.
5.ColletMechanismBasicallyapistoncylinderarrangementforseparation,where
thepistonmovesoutonlywhenpushedwithpressurizedgases.UsedinGSLVcryostage.
6.BoltcutterHugestraponsareconnectedtorocketusinghugemetallicbolts.These
haveinbuiltpyrosystemwhichbreaksthebolt,separatingthestraponswhenrequired.

Whatisthepurposeofhavingstagesinarocket
launch?
Howareupperstagerocketenginestested?
WhathappenstoCentaur(rocketstage)afterinjecting
satellite?
Whatkindofmechanismisusedtoattachthe
differentstagesofarocket?
Whydon'twelaunchrocketsfromamountaintop?

JettisonMechanismthemechanismtopushthespentstagedownwardswithsome
velocity.
1.SelfThepyroenergyusedinactuationitselfpushesthespentstagedownwards.(for
smallrockets)
2.RetrorocketsMountedonspentstage,upsidedown,arefiredafterreleaseand
pullsthespentstagedown
3.UllagerocketsMountedonnextstage,firedbeforefiringthestageengine,pullsthe
wholerocketupwardslightly
4.PressurizedgasesStoredorgeneratedbypyrofiring,pushesthespentstage
downwards
5.HotseparationTheinterstagestructurebetweentwostagesismadevented.The
nextstagefiresbeforejettisoningthespentstage.Thethrustpushesthespentstagedown
andtheplumegoesouttheventedinterstage.(GSLVfirststageseparation)
Alltheabovesystemscanbemixedmatchedaccordingtorequirement.
Example:
Spaceshuttleboosterseparation:Combinesballsocketandboltcutter
Falcon9firststageusespneumatic+colletreleasemechanism
PSLVandGSLVusealmostalloftheaboveatdifferentplaces
MoonrocketSaturnVusedretrorocketsonfirstandsecondstageforjettisoning
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RelatedQuestions
Couldyoumakearocketthatshedsmassinmanysmallstages,ratherthaninafewlarge
stages?
Howdostagesinarocketseparatewithoutlossofthrust?

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