MOTION ANALYSIS OF 2 CABLE-CONNECTED BODIES IN ATMOSPHERIC FREE-FALL

Occasionally, missions af missiles are aborted shortly after launch. I t is common practice in such events to activate self-destruct mechanis ms that cause the explosion of the missiles and the dispersion of debr is over large areas. This work presents an alternative approach to mis sion termination, Given a mission abortion signal, the missile is sepa rated by means such as explosive bolts into two parts, connected to on e another by a cable, A 1000-kg missile is considered, separated into a 200-kg, aerodynamically unstable part and an 800-kg, aerodynamically stable part, It is shown that if the altitude of the separation zone is 2000-10,000 m, the resulting motion causes the missile parts to hit the ground after traversing a horizontal distance, which essentially depends on the missile horizontal speed at the time of separation if t he missile was in the subsonic range, and that, within limits, this re sult depends weakly on the exact length of the cable and on the locati ons of the cable attachment points, Here the idea is presented togethe r with an analysis supporting the indicated results and evaluating the impulses exerted during motion on the missile parts by means of the c able.