Vibration Isolation of Launch Vehicle Payload and Its Subsystem

Abstract

Passive base vibration-control systems for reducing the transfer of orbiter vibration energy to its payload during liftoff are studied. The launch vehicle payload is modeled as a nonuniform flexible structure, and its sensitive subsystem is treated as a single-degree-of-freedom system. Two modified designs for trunnions are suggested for the vibration-control system. These modified trunnions make use of rubber bearings with and without trunnion friction. The performance of these base vibration control systems for protecting the Space Shuttle payload and its sensitive subsystem during liftoff is evaluated. A sinusoidal excitation and the Space Transportation System mission 41 (STS-41)