Sandia National Laboratories has completed a sounding rocket flight test designed to provide real-world reentry data that will inform development of nonnuclear components for the Navy’s W93 nuclear warhead.
The Atrax test, conducted at Sandia’s Kauai Test Facility, collected data on the aerodynamic loads and vibrations a reentry vehicle experiences as it travels toward its target, the lab said in a release. Engineers aim to use the data to improve modeling and simulation tools and reduce uncertainties in the design of W93 components.
The W93 is being developed for the sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad and will be carried by a reentry vehicle. Sandia is responsible for designing the warhead’s nonnuclear components and serves as the lead warhead systems integrator for U.S. nuclear weapons programs.
The Atrax test was completed within about 18 months of receiving funding and was designed to gather environmental data without requiring a system that replicated the final fielded weapon. Sandia said the test occurred roughly two years before the W93’s first scheduled flight test, allowing engineers to address data gaps before system architecture development.
Engineers outfitted the reentry vehicle with sensors to measure external aerodynamic loads, alongside internal vibration measurements. The resulting dataset will allow researchers to evaluate thermal, fluid and structural models and determine where improvements are needed.
Sandia said the test also incorporated a new reentry vehicle, three-stage sounding rocket and separation system. Beyond the W93, the data could support broader hypersonics modeling and sensor development.
