6 degrees of freedom simulation of an unguided sounding rocket using Matlab/Simulink 2023-36-0095
Unguided sounding rockets, also known as sub-orbital rockets, are vehicles that carry scientific experiments and/or sensors to collect data during their trajectory. These rockets lack active control but are capable of traversing the Earth’s atmosphere. It is crucial to thoroughly analyze the flight parameters during the preliminary design phase.
The Open Rocket flight simulation software, developed by Sampo Niskanen, is a widely used open-source project. However, it has some simplifications in comparison to its documentation. It does not specify the calculations of critical parameters required for the rocket’s stability during its flight. Additionally, it does not calculate data related to dynamic stability, which encompasses the system’s ability to make disturbances corrections during the rocket’s trajectory. Consequently, this study presents a flight simulation of a rocket with 6 degrees of freedom using Matlab/Simulink. Two scenarios are simulated: one without wind and another with wind coming from different directions.
The simulations demonstrated good agreement with Open Rocket in the windless scenario. However, trajectory discrepancies were observed as the angle of attack and wind intensity increased. These divergences can be attributed to aerodynamic data. Open Rocket relies on analytical equations for low angles of attack, whereas the algorithm used in this study utilizes Missile Datcom data, specialized software for missiles and rockets. This enables more accurate simulation data to be generated.
