October 3, 1998

(October 3, 1998) - The successful launch of the NRO Space Technology Experiment (STEX) satellite on the Taurus rocket included an innovative whole-spacecraft vibration isolation system that provided a soft ride to orbit. The use of this enabling technology allowed the timely launch of STEX without costly hardware redesign to accommodate large launch-induced dynamic loads.

The vibration isolation system, weighing 40 pounds, was used to mount the 1523 pound STEX satellite to the 151,000 pound Taurus rocket. By using the isolation system, the dynamic launch loads imparted to STEX from the Taurus vehicle were dramatically reduced. Loads on critical STEX components from the worst launch event were reduced by as much as a factor of four.

The whole-spacecraft vibration isolation system was designed and built by CSA Engineering, Inc. of Palo Alto, California. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate at KAFB, NM (AFRL) sponsored the development of this technology under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. This marks the second successful flight of such an isolation system for CSA Engineering and AFRL. The first, earlier this year, was on the Taurus/GFO mission. Telemetry data from that flight indicated that the 21 pound isolation system performed as designed, providing a dramatic reduction in launch loads seen by the spacecraft.

CSA Engineering, Inc. is a small business specializing in passive and active vibration suppression and structural dynamics. CSA is presently developing vibration isolation systems for several U.S. launch vehicles. Further demonstrations of the soft ride technology are expected to change the nature of satellite design, shifting the efforts of designers from launch survival to operational performance.