{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/122377"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/122377","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Manufacturing methods for a solid rocket motor propelling a small, fast flight vehicle","abstract":"A gap exists in the design space for aircraft mass and speed: no flight vehicles with a mass of less than 10 kg and speed greater than 100 m/s are available. The small, fast \"Firefly\" flight vehicle is being developed to explore the capabilities and challenges for aircraft in this gap. The compact Firefly aircraft is configured around a long-endurance, end-burning solid rocket motor that provides 2-3 minutes of powered flight. Challenges exist for manufacturing solid rocket motors for small, fast aircraft such as Firefly. Achieving desired motor performance requires a void-free propellant grain and thermal liner and a strong propellant-to-liner bond. However, observations and tests following several motor manufacturing attempts have revealed voids in the propellant and liner and delamination at the propellant-to-liner interface. Manufacturing defects such as these have led to large increases in chamber pressure and thrust during a static fire test of a motor. This thesis describes the development and implementation of manufacturing methods for slow-burning, long-endurance motors used in small, fast aircraft. Innovative tooling and rigorous procedures have been developed to help ensure the consistent production of a long-endurance solid rocket motor. Successful static firings of a test motor validate the effectiveness of many of the developed manufacturing methods.","abstract_html":"A gap exists in the design space for aircraft mass and speed: no flight vehicles with a mass of less than 10 kg and speed greater than 100 m/s are available. The small, fast "Firefly" flight vehicle is being developed to explore the capabilities and challenges for aircraft in this gap. The compact Firefly aircraft is configured around a long-endurance, end-burning solid rocket motor that provides 2-3 minutes of powered flight. Challenges exist for manufacturing solid rocket motors for small, fast aircraft such as Firefly. Achieving desired motor performance requires a void-free propellant grain and thermal liner and a strong propellant-to-liner bond. However, observations and tests following several motor manufacturing attempts have revealed voids in the propellant and liner and delamination at the propellant-to-liner interface. Manufacturing defects such as these have led to large increases in chamber pressure and thrust during a static fire test of a motor. This thesis describes the development and implementation of manufacturing methods for slow-burning, long-endurance motors used in small, fast aircraft. Innovative tooling and rigorous procedures have been developed to help ensure the consistent production of a long-endurance solid rocket motor. Successful static firings of a test motor validate the effectiveness of many of the developed manufacturing methods.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mathesius, Kelly J."],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["R. John Hansman."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019","date_published":"2019","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:06Z","subjects":["Aeronautics and Astronautics."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122377","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["R. John Hansman."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122377"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2019","Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (pages 97-100)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A gap exists in the design space for aircraft mass and speed: no flight vehicles with a mass of less than 10 kg and speed greater than 100 m/s are available. The small, fast \"Firefly\" flight vehicle is being developed to explore the capabilities and challenges for aircraft in this gap. The compact Firefly aircraft is configured around a long-endurance, end-burning solid rocket motor that provides 2-3 minutes of powered flight. Challenges exist for manufacturing solid rocket motors for small, fast aircraft such as Firefly. Achieving desired motor performance requires a void-free propellant grain and thermal liner and a strong propellant-to-liner bond. However, observations and tests following several motor manufacturing attempts have revealed voids in the propellant and liner and delamination at the propellant-to-liner interface. Manufacturing defects such as these have led to large increases in chamber pressure and thrust during a static fire test of a motor. This thesis describes the development and implementation of manufacturing methods for slow-burning, long-endurance motors used in small, fast aircraft. Innovative tooling and rigorous procedures have been developed to help ensure the consistent production of a long-endurance solid rocket motor. Successful static firings of a test motor validate the effectiveness of many of the developed manufacturing methods."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Manufacturing methods for a solid rocket motor propelling a small, fast flight vehicle"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["R. John Hansman."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics","Aero"],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics."],"dc:creator":["Mathesius, Kelly J."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2019-10-04T21:30:47Z"],"dc:date.available":["2019-10-04T21:30:47Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2019"],"dc:description":["This electronic version was submitted by the student author. 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However, observations and tests following several motor manufacturing attempts have revealed voids in the propellant and liner and delamination at the propellant-to-liner interface. Manufacturing defects such as these have led to large increases in chamber pressure and thrust during a static fire test of a motor. This thesis describes the development and implementation of manufacturing methods for slow-burning, long-endurance motors used in small, fast aircraft. Innovative tooling and rigorous procedures have been developed to help ensure the consistent production of a long-endurance solid rocket motor. Successful static firings of a test motor validate the effectiveness of many of the developed manufacturing methods."],"dc:description.degree":["S.M."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122377"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Aeronautics and Astronautics."],"dc:title":["Manufacturing methods for a solid rocket motor propelling a small, fast flight vehicle"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:06Z"}