Configuration and Design of Mobile Checkout System for Ground Testing of Winged Body Reusable Launch Vehicle 2024-26-0454

Abstract Unlike conventional launch vehicles the winged body reusable launch vehicle needs to be tested and evaluated for its functionality during the pre-flight preparation at the runway. The ground based checkout systems for the avionics and actuators performance testing during pre-flight evaluation and actuation are not designed for rapid movement. The new kind of launch vehicle with conventional rocket motor first-stage and winged body upper-stage demands the system testing at Launchpad and at runway. In the developmental flights of the winged body part of the vehicle, the pre-flight testing needs to be carried out extensively at runway. The safety protocol forbids the permanent structure for hosting the checkout system near runway. The alternative is the development of a rapidly deployable and removable checkout system. A design methodology adopting conventional industrial instrumentation systems and maintaining mobility is presented. The features and challenges faced in the design and development of the mobile checkout system for supporting the ground based pre-flight testing of the reusable launch vehicle for the flight and landing trial is presented. Conclusion The paper presents the design evolution and implementation of the concepts to a realizable system. The paper presents how the industrial instrumentation and measurement systems are established inside a bus for creating a mobile testing station for pre-flight testing of reusable winged body launch vehicle. The functional scalability of the system is limited to the power backup system. The system design was proved to be practically feasible when it was used in the pre-flight testing of the reusable launch vehicle.