Aeroacoustic of the VEGA Launcher: Wind Tunnel Tests and Full Scale Extrapolations

This work describes the main aspects of the extended experimental campaign aimed atthe characterization of the aeroacoustic environment created by the external aerodynamicsaround the VEGA launcher, the expendable launch system developed by the EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA). In the frame of the VEGA program, a collaboration between AVIO,CIRA and DIMI of University “Roma 3” has been established for the evaluation of thepressure fluctuations on the launcher external surface in order to determine the vibroacousticloads on its structure. This issue is accomplished by extrapolating at full scales theresults obtained on the test model by utilizing proper analytical models reproducing themain properties of the pressure fluctuations. The wall pressure fluctuation characterizationwas addressed through wind tunnel tests at transonic and supersonic flow conditions on a1:30 scaled model. In the present paper a specific attention is focussed on the technicalaspects and on the proposed analytical models for the full scale extrapolations and on theacoustic behaviour of the full scale launcher, while in the companion paper the aspectsregarding the behaviour of the pressure wave at transonic flow conditions has beenaddressed