MXOD Flight 1: Numerical Pre-Flight Predictions

The MXOD Flight 1 will be the first in-flight Oblique Detonation Wave (ODW) experiment. Experiments in ground test facilities face struggles with matching operational conditions due to chemical composition changes in long duration facilities. Thus, conducting an experiment at use-case-relevant altitudes and Mach numbers will provide insight into ODW behavior and significantly contribute to the advancement of the technology. As part of the preparation for this flight experiment, the in-flight behavior is modeled to decipher data from the experiment and verify the design of the payload. In support of this, a series of numerical simulations were conducted to quantify the change in drag coefficient over operating conditions due to atmospheric condition changes and viscous effects. These results can inform the expected trajectory of vehicle. In addition to the numerical simulations, a simplified detonability analysis was performed for the edge cases of the test window to verify detonability trends among the test window. These simulations and analyses showed that the drag coefficients follow a predictable pattern with Mach number and altitude, except for the Mach 2 cases in which a detached shock was observed. It was demonstrated that the highest Mach number and lowest altitude case has the highest detonability.