Andøya Space has announced the successful flight of the BOLT-1B hypersonic test vehicle, launched on September 2, 2024, in northern Norway. The rocket reached a speed of up to 254 km before splashing down within the designated impact area, successfully completing all flight test objectives.
The hypersonic flight of BOLT-1B
Hypersonic flight” is understood as speeds above Mach 5, which poses significant technical challenges, such as intense aerodynamic heating and turbulent airflow. The BOLT-1B mission aims to study airflow behavior, especially the transition from laminar to turbulent flow on certain parts of the vehicle surface at these extreme speeds.
This project is coordinated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace Systems Directorate(AFRL/RQ), and the German Aerospace Center(DLR).
The success of BOLT-1B will provide a wealth of vital information, which will help engineers design future hypersonic vehicles, an area of aviation that continues to face significant study challenges, such as the boundary layer transition in airflow.
This launch adds to the growing importance of Andøya Space, and establishes itself as a key player for future suborbital and advanced technology testing in Europe. One of the researchers leading the project is Dr. Brad Wheaton of Johns Hopkins APL.
The live feed from BOLT-1B. Source: Andøya Space.
“We would like to congratulate the entire team on a very successful and important test campaign. Boundary layer transition effects are one of the biggest sources of uncertainty for hypersonic vehicle design. The data collected on this flight will help engineers design future hypersonic vehicles.”
Thomas Gansmoe, director of rocket and engineering services at Andøya Space.
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Source and photo: Andøya Space
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