AFRL Successfully Completes Orbital Test Vehicle Control Surface Acceptance Test

  • Published
  • By Holly Jordan, AFRL/RQOB
  • Aerospace Systems
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  In a collaborative effort with the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office/Advanced Combat Systems Group (AFRCO/ACSG), the Air Force Research Laboratory completed the Delta Qualification IV structural acceptance tests for the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Hot Structure Control Surfaces (HSCS). The purpose of the test program was to certify each control surface for flight. Boeing, Science Applications International Corp., and Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies provided on-site test support for this effort.

Four control surfaces were tested at AFRL's Aerospace Structures Test Facility: the starboard and port Flaperons (combination flap and aileron), and the starboard and port Ruddervators (combination rudder and elevator). Each test article, composed of an advanced carbon-carbon composite with a silicon-carbide coating, was subjected to simulated flight loads up to 112% design limit load. Applied loads and deflections were measured and compared to the predicted behavior from analytical methods and previous test results.

AFRL Researchers successfully completed tests of each of the four control surfaces, which were all accepted for integration into an X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. Following the tests, the control surfaces were shipped to the manufacturer for final inspection and acceptance, followed by shipment to Boeing.

The X-37B is an unmanned, reusable space vehicle, launched from atop an Atlas V rocket. It re-enters the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds, and lands autonomously. It is intended to give the United States an economical and responsive means to deliver payloads to space and recover them on demand. The vehicle is also used to demonstrate the technologies that are necessary to operate a reusable space plane. AFRL has provided development and qualification test support for the X-37B HSCS program since May 2003 through the Delta Qualification I, II, and III programs.