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Geoffrey L. Glidden
University of Missouri-Columbia
Marshall Space Flight Center
NASA Mentor: Philip Franklin
Abstract
The Ullage Settling Motor (USM) subsystem serves two important tasks for the Ares I launch vehicle. Primarily, it must ensure that the ullage spaces in the liquid propellant for the Upper Stage (US) main engine are settled and do not move away from the forward position at the time of J-2X ignition. In addition, it must supply the necessary positive thrust for the US to allow for separation from the Interstage and the First Stage (FS) following the FS main booster burnout. The USM design verification is to be demonstrated through static testing of a full-scale grain in a Heavy Weight Motor (HWM) case. A specific aspect that must be addressed in the design is the Thermal Protection System (TPS) for the interior of the case. Thermal insulation must protect the external case from extreme heat while also staying within strict limits to satisfy all performance requirements placed on the USM. As a result, research and analyses were done both to verify the current insulation thickness and to explore a better method to apply the insulation, known as vulcanization.
Geoffrey Glidden is from St. Louis, MO. He is a senior Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. He is currently serving as the Chairman for the University of Missouri Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He has participated in two NASA internships. The first was with the Marshall Space Grant Research (MSGR) Program that took place at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The second was with the Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP) that took place at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. During this USRP internship, he was also the flight team leader for a team of interns that flew an experiment aboard NASA's "weightless wonder" as a part of the NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. Upon earning his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering with an Aerospace emphasis, Geoff plans to pursue a graduate degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering. As far as career goals, it has always been his dream to be able to work directly towards the advancement of the future of human space flight and exploration. As a result, he hopes to return to NASA very soon as a full time engineer.
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