Improved Techniques for Measuring Static Ground Wind Loads on the NASA Space Launch System Mobile Launcher 2

Abstract

Vertical distribution of static ground wind loads was directly measured on Mobile Launcher ground support hardware to the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) at 1.75% scale in the Langley Research Center 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel. Low-speed wind tunnel testing in the liftoff phase of flight was conducted for the SLS Block 1B family of rockets with their associated ground support systems. Improved methods for measuring and estimating static ground wind loads on the launch tower assembly are introduced in detail. A novel, distributed loads measurement technique is introduced and compared against lower-fidelity, previously utilized methods.