CHAPTER 6

BALLISTIC MISSILE TRAJECTORIES

'Tis a principle of war that when you can use the
ligtning ' tis better than cannon.
-Napoleon I
6. 1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUD
While the purist might insist that the history of ballistic missiles
stretches back to the frst use of crude rockets in warfare by the
Chinese, long-range ballistic missiles, which concern us in this chapter,
have a very short history.
The impetus for developing the long-range rocket as a weapon of war
was, ironically, the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I . It
forbade the Germans to develop long-range artillery. As a result the
German High Command was more receptive to suggestions for rocket
development than were military commands in other countries. The
result is well known. Efforts, begun in 1 93 2 under the direction of then
Captain Walter Dornberger , culminated in the frst successful launch of
an A-4 ballistic missile (commonly known as the V- 2) on 3 October
1 942. During 1 943 and 1 944 over 280 test missiles were fired from
Peeneminde . The frst two operational missiles were fired against Paris
on 6 September 1 944 and an attaok on London followed 2 days later.
By the end of the war in May 1 945 over 3 ,000 V-2' s had been fred in
anger .
1
General Dornberger summed up the use of the long-range missile in
World War II as "too late.
,
,
2
He might have added that it was not a
particularly effective weapon as used. It had a dispersion at the target
of 1 0 miles over a range of 200 miles and carried a warhead of about
277
278
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch . 6
one ton of the high explosive AmatoL
3
Nevertheless, it was more than
j ust an extension of longrange artillery-it was the first ballistic missile
as we know it today.
Afer the war there was a mad scramble to "capture" the German
scientists of Peenemunde who were responsible for this technological
miracle. The United States Army obtained the services of most of the
key scientists and technicians including Dornberger and Wernher von
Braun. The Soviets were able to assemble at Khimki a staff of about 80
men under the former propulsion expert Werner Baum. They were
assigned the task of designing a rocket motor with a thrust of 260, 000
pounds and later one of 530,000 pounds thrust.
3
At an intelligence briefing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in
August 1 952, these disquieting facts were revealed by Dornberger who
had interviewed many of his former colleagues on a return trip to
Germany. Even more disquieting should have been the report that the
Soviets had built a separate factory buiding adj acent to that occupied
by the German workers. No German was permitted to enter this
separate building.
The experts displayed no particular sense of immediacy. After all ,
the atomic bomb was still too heavy to be carried by a rocket .
According to Dr. Darol Froman of the Los Alamos Scientifc
Laboratory the key question in the 1 950' s was "When could the AEC
come up with a warhead light enough to make missiles practical?"
The ballistic missile program in this country b still essentially in
abeyance when a limited contract for the ICBM called "Atlas" was
awarded. But in November 1 952 at Enwetok the thermonuclear
"Mike" shot ended all doubts and paved the way for the "Shrimp" shot
of March 1 954 which revolutionized the program.
4
Accordingly, in June 1 953 , Trevor Gardner , Assistant Secretary of
the Air Force for Research and Development, convened a special group
of the nation' s leading scientists known as the Teapot Committee . The
group was led by the late Professor John von Neumann of the Institute
for Advanced Studies at Princeton. They met in a vacant church in
Inglewood, California, and the result of their study was a
recommendation to the Air Force that the ballistic missile program be
reactivated with top priority.
In October 1 953 a study contract was placed with the
Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation and by May 1 954 the new ICBM
program had highest Air Force priority. In July 1 95 4, Brigadier General
Sec. 6. 2 GE NE RAL BALLI STI C MI SSI L E PROBLEM 279
Bernard A. Schriever was given the monumental task of directing the
accelerated ICBM program and began handpicking a staf of military
assistants . When he reported to the West Coast he had with him a
nucleus of four offcers-among them Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin P.
Blasingame , later to become the first Head of the Department of
Astronautics at the United States Air Force Academy.
Within a year of its beginning in a converted parochial school
building in Inglewood the prograin had passed from top Air Force
priority to top national priority. From 2 main contractors at the
beginning, the program had, by mid 1 959, 30 main contractors and
more than 80,000 people participating directly.
Progress was rapid. After three unsuccessful attempts , the first
successful fight of a Series A Atlas took place on 1 7 December 1 957.
Only 4 months after the Soviet Union had announced that i t had an
intercontinental ballistic mi ssile , Atlas was a reality.
Whle the history of the ballistic missile is both interesting and
signifcant, a knowledge of how and why it works is indispensable for
understanding its employment as a weapon.
The traj ectory of a missile differs from a satellite orbit in only one
respect-it intersects the surface of the Earth. Otherwise, it follows a
conic orbit during the free fight portion of its traj ectory and we can
analyze its behavior according to principles which you already know.
Ballistic mi ssile targeting is j ust a special application of the Gauss
problem which we treated rigorously in Chapter 5 . In this chapter we
will present a somewhat simplifed scalar analysis of the problem so
that you may gain some fresh insight into the nature of ballistic
traj ectories. To compute precise missile traj ectories requires the full
complexity of perturbation theory. In this chapter we are concerned
mainly with concepts.
6. 2 THE GENERL BALLISTIC MISSILE PROBLEM
A ballistic mi ssile trajectory is composed of three parts-the powered
fight portion which lasts from launch to thrust cutoff or burnout, the
free-fight portion which constitutes most of the traj ectory, and the
re-entry portion which begins at some ill-defned point where
atmospheric drag becomes a signifcant force in determining the
missile' s path and lasts until impact.
Since energy is continuously being added to the missile during
powered flight , we cannot use 2-body mechanics to determine its path
280
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch. 6
from launch to burnout . The path of the missile during this critical part
of the fight is determined by the guidance and navigation system. This
is the topic of an entire course and will not be covered here;
During free-fight the traj ectory is part of a conic orbit-almost
always an ellipse-which we can analyze using the principles learned in
Chapter 1 .
Re-entry involves the dissipation of energy by friction with the
atmosphere. It will not be discussed in this text.
We will begin by assuming that the Earth does not rotate and that
the altitude at which re-entry starts is the same as the burnout altitude.
This latter assumption insures that the fee-flight tajectory is
symmetical and will allow us to derive a fairly simple expression for
the free-figt range of a missile in terms of its burnout conditions.
We will then answer a more practical question-"given
r
b' v
b
o
' and
a desired free-fight range, what figt-path angle at burnout is
required? "
Following a discussion of maximum range traj ectories, we will
determine the time-of-figt for the free-figt portion of the traj ectory.
6. 2. 1 Geometry of the Trajectory. Since you are already familiar
with the terminology of orbital mechanics, such terms as "height at
burnout, " "height of apogee, " "figt-path angle at burnout, " etc. ,
need not be redefined. Tere are, however, a few new and unfamiliar
terms which you must learn before we embark on any derivations.
Figure 6. 2. 1 defnes these new quantities.
6. 2. 2 Te Nondimensional Paameter, .
We will find it very
convenient to define a nondimensional parameter called . such that
(6. 2- 1 )
. can be evaluated a t any point in a n orbit and may be thought of as
the squared ratio of the speed of the satellite to circular satellite speed
at that point. Since _ =_
(6. 2-2)
Sec. 6. 2 GE NE RAL BALLI STI C MI SS I LE PROBLEM 281
powered fight range angle
free-fight range angle
\ re-entry range angle
A total range angle
0
O| nI
_ ground range of powered
figt
_ ground range of free
fight

|
_
ground range of re-en try
-
:
total ground range
Figre 6.2-1 Geometry of te ballistic missile traj ectory
282
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJECTOR I ES Ch. 6
The value of Qis not constant for a satellite but varies from point to
point in the orbit. When Jis equal to 1 , the satellite has exactly local
circular satellite speed. This condition Ji exists at every point in a
circular orbit and at the end of the minor axis of every elliptical orbit.
If J it means that the satellite has exactly escape speed and is on
a parabolic orbit. If Jis greater than 2 , the satellite i s on a hyperbolic
orbit. It would be rare to find a ballistic missile with a Jequal to or
greater than 2.
We can take the familiar energy equation of Chapter 1 ,
and substitute for v the expression pOr from equation (6. 2- 1 ) . This
yields both of the following relationships which will prove useful :
(6. 2-3)
or

(6. 2-4)
6. 2. 3 Te Free-Flight Range Equation. Since the free-fight
traj ectory of a missile is a conic section, the general equation of a conic
can be applied to the burnout point.
r
=
,

b
o
i + e c
o
s v
b
o
Solving for cos v
b
o
' we get
,

r
b
c
o
s v
b
o
=

er
b
o
(6. 2- 5)
(6. 2-6)
Sc. 6. 2 GENERAL BALLI STI C MI SSI LE PROBLEM
283
Figre 6.2-2 Symmetrical traj ectory
Since the free-fight traj ectory is assumed to be symmetrical .
o
=

| , half the free-fight range angle , ', lies on each side of the maj or
axis , and
.
,
= - .
,
.

,
.

Equation,6. 2-6) above can, therefore, be written as

(6. 2-7)
284
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTORI ES



.
,
. -
.

,
0. 6
(6. 2-8)
We now have an expression for the free-fight range angle i terms of
and

,
Since - h2 /1 and. --. c, we can use the defnition
of . to obtain
P
._

.
,
.

2
'- -- ='- - -
`
.

c
.
1
Now, since - +

- -
+
Substituting -
`
. c and + - _we get

- + . . .
,
.

c
(6. 2-9)
(6_ 2- 1 0)
(6. 2- 1 1 )
If we now substitute equations (6. 2-9) and (6. 2- 1 1 ) into equation
(6. 2-8) we have one form of the fee-fight range equation:
(6. 2- 1 2)
From this equation we can calculate the free-fight range angle resulting
frbm any given combination of burnout conditions, _
,

,
and

While this will prove to be a very valuable equation, it is not
particularly useful in solving the typical ballistic missile problem which
can be stated thus: Given a particular launch point and target , the total
range angle, A can be calculated as we shall see later in this chapter . If
we know how far the mssile will travel during powered figt and
re-entry, the required free-fight range angle, .also becomes known. If
we now specify

,
and

,
for the mssile, what should the figt-path
angle, _,be in order that the missile will hit the target?
Sec 6. 2 GENERAL BALLI STI C MI SSI L E PROBLEM 285
In other words, it would be nice to have an equation for ,_

in
terms of _._

and +.
We could, with a little algebra, choose the straightforward way of
solving the range equation for cos ,
_
Instead, we will derive an
expression for ,_

geometrically because it demonstrates some rather

interesting geometrical properties of the ellipse .

Figure 6. 2-3 Ellipse geometry
6. 2. 4 The Fligt-Path Angle Equation. In Figure 6. 2- 3 we have
drawn the local horizontal at the burnout point and also the tangent
and normal at the burnout point . The line from the burnout point to
the secondary focus, - is called r

.
The angle between the local horizontal and the tangent ,direction of
vo is the fight-path angle , ,_

Since _

is perpendicular to the local

horizontal , and the normal is perpendicular to the tangent , the angle
between _and the normal is also ,_

Now, it can be proven ,although we won't do it) that the angle

286
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch. 6
between

and _

is bisected by the normal . This fact gives rise to

many interesting applications for the ellipse. It means, for example,
that, if the ellipse represented the surface of a mirror , ligt emanating
from one focus would be refected to the other focus since the angle of
refection equals the angle of incidence. If the ceiling of a room were
made in the shape of an ellipsoid, a person standing at a particular point
in the room corresponding to one focus could be heard cledrly by a
person standing at the other focus even though he were whispering.
This is, in fact, the basis for the so
-
called "whispering gallery. "
What all this means for our derivation is simply that the angle
between

and _

is 2
-

Let us concentrate on the triangle formed by - - and the burnout

point. We know two of the angles in this triangle and the third can be
determined from the fact that the angles of a triangle sum to l c`If
we divide the triangle into two right triangles by the dashed line, +,
shown i n Figure .+,we can express + as

+ =

S I n

2
and also as
( . l )
( . l +)
Combining these two equations and noting that sin ( l c
c
- 7)
x, we get

+
`

2
( . l :)
Since

. ,2- _from equation ( .)and

_
c
+

:,

-
+ ')

( . l )
Ths is called the fight-path angle equation and it points out some
interesting and important facts about ballistic missile traj ectorie s.
Sec. 6. 2 GE NE RAL BAL L I STI C MI SSI LE PROB LEM 287
Figure 6.2-4 Ellipse geometry
Suppose we want a missile to travel a free-fight range of 90
0
and it
has Qb
o
= Substituting these values into equation (6. 2- 1 6) gives us
. ( 2<
b
o
+ +

=

si n +

= . 8
66

e
But there are two angles whose sine equal s . 866, so
and
There are two trajectories to the target which result from the same
values of |_and v_. The traj ectory corresponding to the larger value
of flight-path angle is called the high trajectory; the traj ectory
associated with the smaller flight-path angle is the low trajectory.
288
BAL L I STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch. 6
The fact that there are two traj ectories to the target should not
surprise you since even very short-range ballistic traj ectories exhibit this
property. A familiar illustration of this result is the behavior of water
discharged from a garden hose . With constant water pressure and nozzle
setting, the speed of the water leaving the nozzle is fxed. If a target
well within the maximum range of the hose is selected, the target can
be hit by a flat or lofted trajectory.
The nature of the high and low traj ectory depends primarily on the
value of
Q
b
o
. If
Q
b
o
is less than 1 there will be a limit to how large '
may be in order that the value of the right side of equation (6. 2- 1 6)
does not exceed 1 . This implies that there is a maximum range for a
missile with
Q
b
o
less than 1 . This maximum range will always be less
than 1 80
0
for
Q
b
o
less than 1 . Provided that 'is attainable, there will
be both a high and a low tajectory to the target.
If
Q
b
o
is exactly 1 , one of the traj ectories to the target will be the
circular orbit connecting the burnout and re-entry points . This would
not be a very practical missile traj ectory, but it does represent the
borderline case where ranges of 1 80
0
and more are j ust attainable.
If
Q
b
o
is greater than 1 , equation (6. 2- 1 6) will always yield one
positive and one negative value for
b
o
'
regardless of range . A negative

b
is not practical since the traj ectory would penetrate the earth, so
only the high tajectory can be realized for
Q
b
o
geater than 1 .
The real signifcance of
Q
bo
greater than 1 is that ranges in excess of
1 80
0
are possible . An illustration of such a traj ect ory would be a
missile directed at the North American continent from Asia via the
south pole. While such a traj ectory would avoid detection by our
northern radar "fences , " it would be costly in terms of payload
delivered and accuracy attainable . Nevertheless, the shock value of such
a surprise attack in terms of what it might do towards creating chaos
among our defensive forces should not be overlooked by military
planners.
Since both the high and l ow traj ectories result from the same
r
b
o
and
v
bo
'
they both have the same energy. Because u= - c,the maj or
axis of the high and low traj ectories are the same length.
Table 6. 2- 1 shows which traj ectories are possible for various
combinations of
Q
b
o
and '. Figure 6. 2-5 should be helpful in
visualizing each case.
Sec. 6. 2 GENERAL BALLI STI C MI SSI LE PROBLEM
289
I mpossi bl e
Figre 6. 2-5 Example ballistic missile traj ectories
290

`
>
BAL L I STI C MI SS I LE TRAJ E CTOR I ES Ch. 6
Sigifcace of
`
,
'<1 80
0
both high and low if
'<max. range
both high and low
;
.
,
O
O
for low)
high only - low traj .
hits earth
Table 6. 2-1
' > 1 80
0
impossible
high has ;
_
= .

one low traj . sims earth
hig only - low
traj . hits earth
EXAMPLE PROBLEM. During the test firing of a ballistic missile,
the following measurements were made :

,
=

/:.

,
=
/+
:./.
+
,
,

:. Assuming a symmetrical traj ectory, what
was the free-fIght range of the missile during this test in nautical miles?
Before we can use the free-figt range equation to fnd ', we must
fnd ;

,
and \_
v
-
c

"
1
. .
-
,
.
-

,

v
=

1) - . ./.
u
r
u

_
= r
+

+
=

= ..
-
/.

=

.
,
.
r
,

.
,
.
:

,
.
..
Sec. 6. 2 GENERAL BALLI STI C MI SSI LE PROBLEM
Using equation (6. 2- 1 2) , .
o
+ N.

::
~ +-, ~

i +
-,
291
EXAMPLE PROBLEM. A missile' s coordinates at burnout are :
3 0
0
N, 60
0
E. Re-entry is planned for 30
0
S, 60
0
W. Burnout velocity and
altitude are 1 . 08 1 7 DU/TU and . 025 DU respectively. is less than
1 80

.
What must the fight-path angle be at burnout?
Before we can use the figt-path angle equation to find <
b
o'
we must
find Q
b
o
and .
Q
b
o

i i i
i
From spherical trigonometry,
:.
=
:. ..` :. ..` +
,

`
..

.. ..
` =

.
,
.
`W
=
.`:
From the fight-path angle equation,
; +
i +i

i + i
,
b
o
i

:. 2<
b
o
+ ~+`
i +
`
+
or <
b
= 9. O`
6. 2. 5 Te Maimum Range Trajectory. Suppose we plot the
free-fight range angle, , versus the figt-path angle,
<
b
o'
for a fixed
value of Q
b
o
less than 1 . We get a curve like that shown in Figure 6. 2-6.
As the fight-path angle is varied from 0

to 90

the range frst
increases then reaches a maximum and decreases to zero again. Notice
292
w
8
L
C
w
7
C
.
-
E

+
J
C
:: 20
M

G
w

U
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES el. s

Qb.7

Z
.

/
max
l

17
,
1 5 30
4 E 75 90
Fl i ght - pat h angl e 'b in degrees
Figre 6. 2-6 Range versus <
b
that for every range except the maximum there are two values of <
b
corresponding to a hig and a low traj ectory. At rximum range there
is only one path to the target.
There are at least two ways that we could derive expressions for the
maxim
l
m range condition. One way is to derive an expression for a' /
a< and set it equal to zero. A simpler method is to see under what
conditions the figt-path ange equation yields a single solution.
If the right side of equation (6. 2- 1 6) equals exactly 1 , we get only a
single answer for <
b
' This must , then, be the maximum range
condition.


+

from which

=
e

')
= i

and

~~~~~~~ ~~~~
(6. 2- 1 7)
(6. 2- 1 8)
Sec. 6. 2 GENERAL BALli STI C MI SSi L E PROBLEM 293
for maximum range conditions only.
We can easily Cind the maximum range angle attainable with a gven
Q b
o
o From equation (6. 2- 1 7),
Q
s i n -
bo
2 2 - Q
bo
for maximum range conditions.
If we solve this equation for Q
bo
' we get
Q
-
2 s i n ( ' /2)
bo
-
--
i + s i n ( '/2)
(6. 2- 1 9)
(6. 2-20)
for maximum range conditions. This latter form of the equation is
useful for determining the lowest value of Qb
o
that will attain a given
range angle .
6. 2. 6 Tie of Free-Fligt. The time-of-fight methods developed in
Chapter 4 are applicable to the free-fight portion of a ballistic missile
traj ectory, but , due to the symmetry of the case where h
re
= hb
o
' the
equations are considerably simplifi ed. From the symmetry of Figure
6. 2-7 you can see that the time-of-figt from burnout to re-entry i s just
twice the time-of-figt from burnout (point 1 ) to apogee (point 2).
By inspection, the eccentric anomaly of poit 2 is 1 radians or 1 80
0
.
The value of c
I
can be computed from equation (4. 2-8), noting that
-,
1 80
0
- '12
.
'
e - cos 2
cos
1
-
. W
i - e cos -
2
(6. 2-2 1 )
If we now substitute into equation (4. 2-9) on page 1 86 we get the
time of free-fight
( 1 - + e

n c )
(6. 2- 22)
294
BAL LI STI C Mi SSI L E TRAJE CTOR I ES
apogee
2
Figre 6. 2-7 Time of free-figt
Ch. 6
The semi-maj or axis, a, and the eccentricity, J,can be obtained from
equ
a
tions (6. 2-3) and (6. 2- 1 1 ).
Figure 6. 2-9 i s an excellent chart for making rapid time-of-fight
calculations for the ballistic missile . In fact , since fve variables have
been plotted on the figure, most ballistic missile problems can be solved
completely using just this chart.
The free-flight time is read from the chart as the ratio tf! c' where
1_is the period of a fctitious circular satellite orbiting at the burnout
altitude. Values for T
c
may be calculated from
(6. 2-23)
or they may be read directly from Figure 6. 2- 8.
EXAMPLE PROBLEM. A ballistic missile was observed to have a
burnout speed and altitude of 24, 300 f/sec and 258 nm respectively.
What must be the maximum free-fight range capability of this missile?
Sec. 6. 2 GENERAL BALLI STI C Mi SSi lE PROBLEM
ls
mi nutes
1 00
95
90
85
o
Figure 6- 8 Circular satellite

period vs. altitude
'
100 200 300
a lti tude i n nauti cal mi l es
Figre 6. 2-8 Circular satellite period vs altitude
In canonical units
- ( :: )

(
i -

-
: i
-
e
From Figure .
'
it is rapidly found that
`+.
-
l .
'
'
and
,
:
= i

)
-
: . = . n m
295
400
EXMPLE PROBLEM. It is desired to maximize the payload of a
new ballistic missile for a free-fight range of 8, 000 nm. The design
burnout altitude has been fixed at 344 nm. What should be the design
burnout speed?
P

t
t
f

'

/ : : , ' y

'''''' : : :

r
e
-
(
Z

r
m
-
:
!
m
(
5
:
m
e
&

Free - f l i ght range ' in degrees

Sec. 6. 3 LAUNCHI NG E RRORS ON RANGE
297
For a given amount of propellant, range may be sacrifced to increase
payload and vice-versa. For a fxed burnout altitude, payload may be
maxiized by minimizing the burnout speed (minimum
`_

_

: i

:::
From equation (6. 2-20)
`
_

~~

e
b
o

i ~~

From equation (6. 2- 1 )

_ /
e

.s DUrU :, ft/sec
b
o
_
i
6. 3 EFFECT OF LAUNCHING ERRORS ON RANGE
Variations in the speed, position, and launch direction of the missile
at thrust cutoff will produce errors at the impact point . These errors are
of two types-errors in the intended plane which cause either a long or
a short hit, and out-of-plane errors which cause the missile to hit to the
right or left of the target. For brevity, we will refer to errors in the
intended plane as "down-range" errors, and out-of-plane errors as
"cross-range" errors.
There are two possible sources of cross-range error and these will be
treated frst.
6. 3 . 1 Effect of a Lateral Displacement of the Burnout Point. If the
thrust cutoff point is displaced by an amount, .X, perpendicular to the
intended plane of the traj ectory and all other conditions are nominal,
the cross-range error, .C, at impact can be determined from spherical
trigonometry. In Figure 6. 3- 1 we show the ground traces of te intended
and actual traj ectories. For purposes of this example, suppose the
intended burnout point is on the equator and the launch azimuth is due
north along a meridian toward the intended target at ~ The actual
burnout point occurs at a point on the equator a distance , .X to the
east but with the correct launch azimuth of due north. As a result the
missile fies up the wrong meridian, impacting at B.
The arc length .C represents the cross-range error. It is customary in
spherical trigonometry to measure arc length in terms of the angle
subtended at the center of the sphere so that both .X and .C may be
298
BALL I STI C MI SSI LE TRAJECTOR I ES Ch. 6
thought of as angles.
Applying the law of cosines for spherical trigonometry to triangle
OAB in Figure 6. 3- 1 and noting that the small angle at is the same as
X, we get
(6. 3- 1 )
Since both X and C will be very small angles, we can use the small
. . X
2
angle approxuatlOn, cos X i
- " to simplify equation (6. 3- 1 ) to
C X cos
'. (6. 3-2)
Both X and C are assumed to be expressed as angles in this
equation. If they are in radians you can convert them to arc length by
multiplying by the radius of the Earth; if they are i degrees, you can
use the fact that a 60 nm arc on the surface of the Earth sub tends an
angle of 1
0
at the center.
Equation (6. 3-2) tells us that cross-range error is zero for a free-fight
range of 90
0
(5 ,400 nm) regardless of how far the burnout point is
displaced out of the intended plane . In Figure 6. 3- 1 , for example, if the
intended target had been the north pole , the actual burnout point could
occur anywhere on the equator and we would hit the target so long as
Figre 6. 3-1 Lateral displacement of burnout point
Sec. 6. 3 LAUNCHI NG E RRORS ON RANGE 299
launch azimuth and free-fight range , .are as planned. Since most of
our ICBM' s are targeted for ranges of approximately 90
0
, this particular
source of cross-range error is not as significant as an error in launch
azimuth as we shall see in the next section.
Figure 6.3-2 Azimuth error
6.3 . 2 Cros-Range Error Due to Incorrect Launch Azimuth. If the
actual launch azimuth differs from the intended launch azimuth by an
amount, 6, a cross-range error, C, will result . Figure 6. 3- 2 illustrates
the geometry of an azimuth error. The ground trace of the actual and
intended traj ectory are shown. Since all launch conditions are assumed
to be nominal except launch azimuth, the free-fight range of both the
actual and the intended traj ectories is .The third side of the spherical
triangle shown in Figure 6. 3- 2 is

the cross-range error . P before,

we will consider

to be expressed in terms of the angle it subtends at

the center of the Earth.
From the law of cosines for spherical triangles we get
cos C = cos
2
.+ sin
2
.cos 6 (6. 3-3)
300
BALL I STI C MI SSI LE TRAJECTOR I ES Ch . 6
If we assume that both 4 and ,C will be very small angles we can use
2
the approximation, cos X i
=
x
2
to simplify equation (6. 3-3) to
(6. 3-4)
Ths time we see that the cross-range error is a maximum for a
free-figt range of 90
0
(or 270
0
) and goes to zero if is 1 80
0
. In
other words, if you have a missile which will travel exactly half way
around the Earth, it really doesn
'
t matter in what direction you launch
it ; it will hit the target anyway.
6. 3. 3 Effect of Dow-Range Displacement of the Burout Point. A
error in down-range position at thrust cutoff produces an equal error at
impact . The effect may be visualized by rotating the traj ectory in
Figure 6. 2- 1 about the center of the Eart. If the actual burnout point
is 1 nm farther down-range than was intended, the missile will
oversoot the target by exactly 1 1.
0
O
C
O
U
..
Fl i ght -
p
ath an gl e
,
<bo
l
=

a
a
qo
D, :
I : I

Figure 6.3-3 Effect of fight-path angle errors on range

6 .3.4 Errors in Burout Fligt-Pat Ange,

_ In Figure 6. 3-3 we
show a typical plot of free-figt range versus fight-path angle for a
fixed value of
,
and

,
The intended flight-path angle and intended
range, , are shown by a solid line in the fgure. If the actual

,
difers from the intended value by an amount
o
' the actual range
will be different by an amount . This will represent a down-range
Sec. 6. 3 LAUNCHI NG E R RORS ON RANGE 301
error causing the missile to undershoot or overshoot the target.
We could get an approximate value for .' if we knew the slope of
the curve (which is _.at the point corresponding to the intended
traj ectory. The diagram at the right of Figure 6. 3- 3 illustrates the fact
that
(6. 3- 5)
which is a good approximation for very small values of b.
The expression for _

may be obtained by implicit partial
differentiation of the free-fight range equation. But frst we will derive
an alternate form of the free-fight range equation.
The free-fight range equation was derived as equation (6. 2- 1 2) of
this chapter . If we call the numerator of this expression : and the
denominator {, then
.. -
.
{
and . -
:
.

=
:

Substituting for : and { we get
. -

`
,

..

,

.
`
,

..
:
,

..

<
Since
J1 ..

,

=
.
,

. -

`
,

..

,

.
`
,

..
,

.
,

( (6. 3- 6)
(6. 3-7)
(6. 3- 8)
(6. 3-9)
But since .. X . - 7. . we can simplify further to obtain
I
. -
`
.
... .
,

.
,

,

(6. 3- 1 0)
302
BALL I STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch. 6
We now have another form of the free-fight range equation which is
much simpler to differentiate . Let us first express equation (6. 3- 1 0) in
terms of
,,

,,
and
_
o
'
(6. 3- 1 1 )
We now proceed t o differentiate (6. 3- 1 1 ) implicitly with respect to
;
_ considering

,
and
,,
as constants.
_
1
...

+
. .

;
,,
(6. 3- 1 2)

.
'

. .
,
: .;
,,
... .;
,,
- ...

;
,,

,,
Substituting from equation (6. 3- 1 1 ) we get

' ...


+
=
. .
,
: .; .
,
: - .
,
: ;
. .

;
,,

,
.

,
- ...

;

,
. .
,
: .;

.
,
:
Solving for
+

;
,,

+
= : .
,
: .;

,
. .
,
. .


`

,
. . .
= : ' .
,
: .;
,,
.
+ .


. .
=
. .
+ .
,
: .;
,,
- .
,
. + i
= .
. + .
,
. .
:

,
- .

. ' . .;
,,

.
. .;
,,
Sec. 6. 3 LAUNCH I NG E RRORS ON RANGE 303
which finally reduces to
(6. 3- 1 3)
This partial derivative, when used in the manner described above, is
called an infuence coefficient since it infuences the size of the range
error resulting from a. particular burnout error .
While we need equation (6. 3- 1 3) to evaluate the magnitude of the
fight-path angle infuence coefficient , the general effect of errors i
fight-path angle at burnout are apparent from Figure 6. 3- 3.
The maximum range condition separates the l ow traj ectories from
the high traj ectories. For all low traj ectories the slope of the curve _
is positive which means that too high a figt-path angle (a positive
will cause a positive 6' (overshoot) ; a fight-path angle which is
lower than intended (a negative will cause a negative 6'
(undershoot).
Just the opposite effect occurs for all high traj ectories where
0
0
is
^

always negative. Too high a o

on the high traj ectory will cause the

missile to fall short and too low a o

will cause an overshoot. If this

seems strange, remember that water from a garden hose behaves i
exactly the same way.
Figure 6. 3-3 also reveals that the high traj ectory is less sensitive than
the low traj ectory to fight-path angle errors. For a typical ICBM fred
over a 5 , 000 nm range, an error of 1 minute ( 1 /60 of a degree) causes a
miss of about 1 nm on the hig traj ectory and nearly 3 nm on the low
traj ectory.
The maximum range traj ectory is the least sensitive to figt-path
angle errors. Since

= for the maximum range case, equation

(6
.
3-5)
tells us that 6' will be approximately zero for small values of
In fact, the actual range error on a 3 ,600 nm ICBM fight due to
a 1 minute error in o

is only 4 feet !
6. 3. 5 Dow-Range Errors Caused by Incorrect Burout Heigt. We
can use exactly the same approach to errors in burnout height as we
used in the previous section. A plot of range versus burnout radius,
304
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch. 6
however, is not particularly interesting since it reveals just what we
might suspect-if burnout occurs higher than intended, the missile
oversoots ; if burnout occurs too low, the missile falls short of the
target in every case .
Following the arguments in the last section we can say that
(6. 3- 1 4)
for small values of
.rb
o
The partial derivative with respect to
r
bo
is much simpler . Again,
differentiating the range equation (6. 3- 1 1) implicitly,
.
1

W
o
W
=
2 2 o
rb
o
Solving for

o
W
we get
rb
o
-2g
2r.

'
b
o

v
b
o
r
bo
W
o
W
. 4g
o
rb
o v

o
r

o
2
bo
(6. 3- 1 5)
(6. 3- 1 6)
A burnout error of 1 nm in height on a 5 ,000 nm range traj ectory
will cause a miss of about 2 nm on the high traj ectory and about 5 nm
on the low trae ctory.
6. 3. 6 Dow-Range Errors Causd by Incorrect Speed at Burnout .
Speed at

urnout affects range in just the way we would expect-too

fast and the missile overshoots ; too slow and the missile falls short. The
magnitude of the error is
(6. 3- 1 7)
where OW/oV
b
o
is given by implicit differentiation of equation
(6. 3- 1 1) as
'
Sec. 6. 3 LAUNCHI NG E RRORS ON RANGE
+
`
+ _
__ 2
`
,,

,,
;

,
305
(6. 3- 1 8)
A rough rule-of-thumb is that an error of 1 ft/sec will cause a miss of
about 1 nm over typical ICBM range .
An analysis of equation (6. 3- 1 8) would reveal that, like the other
two infuence coefcients,
`
+/
`
._
is larger on the low traj ectory
than on the hgh. Most ICBM' s are programmed for the high traj ectory
for the simple reason that is revealed here-the guidance requirements
are less stringent and the accuracy is better.
EXAMPLE PROBLEM. A ballistic missile has the following nominal
burnout conditions :

,
e
- e
`
..
/
.
,,
- i i . . ;
,,
-

The following errors exist at burnout :

,
e
-

i ' . ./.
,
e
- i

..
^
;
,
e
-

:
How far will the missile mi ss the target? What will be the direction of
the miss relative to the traj ectory plane?
We will fnd total down-range error . There is no cross-range error. We
will need J
,,
(. 9 for this case) and ' (' 1 00
0
from Figure 6o 2-9) .
Total down-range error :

+ -
`
+
^
-

-
`
+
;

`
,,
,
e
`
,,
,
e
`
;
,,
,
e
`
+
-
:

-
:
`

i i

..

,,
[ ]
-
i i
-~

~:e
:
`
,,

,,
`
,,
e . ./.
306
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES

+ .. .

. - .

,

~
. .
,
Ch. 6
/ -. . .

- :e .

. .

- .

rad
6R
ff
- .

::: : .
6. 4 THE EFFECT OF EARTH ROTATION
Up to this point the Earth has been considered as nonrotating. In the
two sections which follow we will see what effect earth rotation has on
the problem of sending a ballistic missile from one fixed point on the
Earth to another.
The Earth rotates once on its axis in 23 hrs 5 6 min producing a
surface velocity at the equator of 1 , 5 24 ft/sec. The rotation is from
west to east.
The free-fight portion of a ballistic missile traj ectory is inertial in
character. That is, it remains fixed in the XYZ inertial frame while the
Earth runs under it. Relative to this inertial XY
Z
frame, both the
launch point and the target are in motion.
We will compensate for motion of the launch site by recognizing
that the "true velocity" of the missile at burnout is the velocity relative
to the launch site (which could be measured by radar) plus the initial
eastward velocity of the launch site due to earth rotation.
We will compensate for motion of the target by "leading it" slightly.
That is, we will send our missile on a traj ectory that passes through the
point in space where the target will be when our missile arrives. If we
know the time-of-fight of the missile, we can compute how much the
Earth (and target) will turn in that time and can a for a point the
proper distance to the east of the target.
6. 4. 1 Compensating for the Initial Velocity of the Missile Due to
Earth Rotation. We describe the speed and direction of a missile at
burnout in terms of its speed, , its flight-path angle, <, and its azimuth
angle, {. If measurements of these three quantities are made from the
surface of the rotating Earth (by r adar , for example), then a three
Sec. 6. 4
vel . O !|0| 0

E F FECT OF EARTH ROTATI ON

, -.:
\--I | "
-

_ l

Figre 6.4- 1 "True" velocity and direction

307
measurements are erroneous in that they do not indicate the "true"
spee d and direction of the missile. A simple example should clarify this
point.
Suppose we set up a cannon on a train which is moving along a
straight section of track in a northerly direction. If we point the cannon
due east (perpendicular to the track) and upward at d 45
0
angle and
then fre it, an observer on the moving train would say that the
proj ectile had a flight-path angl e, 1, of 45
0
, an azimuth, , of 90
0
(east) , and a speed of, say 1 ,000 ft/sec.
An observer at rest would not agree . He would correctly see that the
"true" velocity of the proj ectile includes the velocity of the trai
relative to the "fxed frame . " The vector diagram at the right of Figure
6. 4- 1 illustrates the true situation and shows that the speed is actually
somewhat greater than 1 ,000 ft/sec, the fight-path angle slightly less
than 45
0
, and the azimuth considerably less than 90
0
.
Like the observer on the moving train, we make our measurements
in a moving reference frame . This frame is called the topocentric
horizon system. Hereafer, we will refer to measurements of burnout
direction in this frame as 1
e
and
-

.
Since a point on the equator has a speed of 1 , 5 24 ft/sec in the
eastward direction, we can express the speed of any l aunch point on the
surface of the earth as

,
= i
:
,
.
,

:t/- (6. 4- 1 )
308
BALL I STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch . 6
where
,
is the latitude of the launch site . The subscript "0" is used to
indicate that this is the initial eastward velocity of the missile even
while it is on the launch pad.
We can obtain the south, east , and up components of the true
velocity, v, by breaking up v
e
into its components and adding

,
to the
eastward (E) component. Thus,
(6.4-2)
The true speed, fight-path angle, and azimuth can then be found
from
v -
v
2
+ v
2
+ v
2

v
. ; -
v
v
+ - .

(6.4-3)
(6.4-4)
(6.4- 5)
The inverse problem of determining ve' ;
e
and {
e
if you are given
v
,
and { can be handled in a siilar manner ; first , break up V into its
components, then subtract

,
from the eastward component to obtain
the components of V
e
. Once you have the components of v
e
, fnding
v
e'

e
and
e
is easy.
One word of caution: you will have to determine i n which quadrant
the azimuth, , lies. If you can draw even a crude sketch and visualize
the geometry of the problem, this will not be diffcult .
It is, of course, v at burnout which determines the missile
'
s
Sec. 6. 4 E F FECT OF EARTH ROTATI ON 309
traj ectory. The rocket booster only has to add v
e
to the initial velocity
VO" If the desired launch velocity is eastward the rocket will not have to
provide as much speed as it would for a westward launch.
z | JpI
E , Eosf)
S (Socf
Figure 6.4-2 "True" speed and direction at burnout
6.4. 2 Compen!ting for Movement of the Target Due to Earth
Rotation. In Figure 6.4-3 we show the Earth at the instant a missile is
launched. The traj ectory goes from the launch point at A to an "aiming
point" at B. This aiming point does not coincide with the target at the
time the missile is launched. Rather , it is a point at the same latitude as
the target but east of it an amount equal to the number of degrees the
Earth will turn during the total time the missile is in fight . Hopefully,
when the missile arrives at point B, the target will be there also.
The latitude and longitude coordinates of the launch point are .
,
and
,
,respectively, so the arc length OA in Figure 6. 4-3 is j ust 90
0
-

,
If the coordinates of the target are N
t
) then the latitude and
longitUde of the aiming point should be , and
t
-
t
A'
respectively. The term, w
E
t
A
' represents the number of degrees the
Earth turns during the time

The angular rate, w

E
' at which the
earth turns is approximately 1 5 /hI .
Arc length B is simply 90
0
and the third side of the spherical
31 0
BALL I STI C MI SSI L E TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch. 6
triangle (the dashed line) is the ground trace of the missile trajectory
which subtends the angle / The included angle at A is the launch
azimuth, {. The angle formed at is just the difference in longitude
between the launch point and the aiming point, .N -

t
\
,where .N
is the difference i n longitude between launch point and target.
If we assume that we know the coordinates of the launch point and
target and the total time-of-fight ,
t
A
, we can use the law of cosines for
spherical triangles to obtain

,
\=
_
t
-
,
_
,
.
t

,
( .N -
t
\

(6.4-6)
In applying this equation we must observe certai precautions . The
longitude difference, .N, should be measured from the launch point
eastward toward the target. The equation yields two solutions for
A
-one angle between 0
0
and 1 80
0
, and another between 1 80
0
and
3 60
0
. These two solutions represent the two great-circle paths between
the launch point and aiming point. Wether you select one or the other
depends on whether you want to go the short way or the long way
around to the target.
Once we know the total range angle, A we can solve for the required
launch azimuth, {, by applying the law of cosines to the triangle in
Figure 6. 4-3 again-this time considering { as the included angle :
L
t
= _
,
\-
,
._ \
,
{ .
Solving for cos {, we get

t

_
,
\

,
{
=
-

,
._Si n \
(6.4-7)
(6.4-8)
Again, this equation yields two solutions for {one between 0
0
and
1 80
0
and the other between 1 80
0
and 360
0
. A simple rule exists for
determining which value of { is correct : If you are going the "sort
way" to the target, and if.N -

t
A
lies between 0
0
and 1 80
0
then so
does {. If you are firing the mssile the "long way" around, then a value
of .N -
t
\
between 0
0
and 1 80
0
requires that { lie between 1 80
0
and 360
0
.
It is worth going back for a moment to look at the equations for
Sec. 6. 4 E F F ECT OF EARTH ROTATI ON 31 1
Figre 6. 4-3 Launch site and "aiming point" at the instant of launch
total range , A, and launch azimuth, (. In order to compute ( we must
know the coordinates of the launch point and target as well as the
range, / In order to compute A we must know the time-of-fight , t
A
But , how can we know the time-of-fight if we do not know the
range being fown?
The situation is not entirely desperate . In actual practice you would
begin by "guessing" a reasonable time for t
A
This value would be used
to compute an initial estimate for A which in turn would allow you to
get a first estimate of t
ff
. By adding the times of powered fight and
re-entry (which also depend somewhat on A) to t
ff
you get a value of
t
A
which you can use as your second "guess . " The whole process is
then repeated until the computed value of t
A
agrees with the estimated
value . Needless to say, the digital computer is more suited for this type
31 2
BAL L I STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ E CTOR I ES Ch. 6
of trial and error computation than the average student whose patience
is limited.
EXLE PROBLEM. A ballistic missile launched from 29

N,
79. 3

W burns out at 30
o
N, 80
0
W after developing d incre ase i
velocity of . 9 DU/TU. Its elevation and azimuth relative t o the Earth
are :
. Assuming a rotating Earth and a _ of 1 . 1 DU, what are the
coordinates of the re-entry point? Assume a symmetrical traj ectory.
The inertial speed, fight-path angle and azimuth may be found using
equations (6. 4-2) through (6.4- 5) :
v 3OoOOooO O/o ./1.
_
v
_
3OoO ooO' OoOOO23 oo3 ./.
v_ . 3 oO 4o . /1.
v _' O/o' =' oo3' '' 4o ' O/3 ./1.
v

-
. o 3o
O v
O/3
-
'O

oO O
v

/

v
E

' oo3'
:oOZZ
o
O/o
,ooo oo

' O/ 3' ' '
Oo



From Figure 6. 2-9, using
O
= . 85 and
O
3 10
,
Using the Law of Cosines from spherical trigonometry,
Sec. 6. 4 . EFFECT OF EARTH ROTATI ON
.

.
,

...
,

. ..

. ... . .

. ( re-entry l ati tude)
Using the Law of Cosines again, we have
...

. ,

. ,

..
. .

....
.
.,

.
.,

.,

From Figure 6. 2-9, using 0b . 85 and b 30.78
0
,

.

,,..

../ .

31 3
.

, -

.
.

.
.
N
re

. ( re-entry l ong i tude)
'
31 4
BALLI STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch . 6
EXERCISES
6. 1 The following measurements were obtained during the testing of
an ICBM:
Vb
o
=
e.. ./.

,
=
i .
4
b
o
= i `

= .n .

n .
6. 2 A ballistic missile i s launched from a submarine in the Atlantic
(30
0
N, 75
0
W) on an azimuth of 1 35
0
. Burnout sped relative to the
submarine is 1 6, 000 ft/sec and at an angle of 3 0
0
to the local
horizontal . Assume the submarine lies motionless in the water during
the fring. What is the true speed of the missile relative to the center of
the rotating Earth?
(Ans. v = 1 6 , 840. 6 ft/sec)
6. 3 For a ballistic missile having:
rb
o
=
i . .
vb
o
=
. :./.
Wat will be the maximum range
4

o
?
6.4 What values of J_may be used in equation (6. 2- 1 9)? Why?
6. 5 A ballistic missile' s burnout point is at the end of the
semi-minor axis of an ellipse . Assuming burnout altitude equals re-entry
altitude, and a spherical Earth, what will the value of Jbe at re-entry?
6. 6 What is the minimum velocity required for a ballistic missile to
travel a distance measured on the surface of the Earth of 5 ,040 n mi?
Neglect atmosphere and assume
,
=
i .
Ch. 6
EXERCI SES 31 5
6. 7 I n general, how many possible traj ectories are there for a given
range and .

,
: (.
,,
< i What is the exception to this rule?
6. 8 An enterprising young engineer was able to increase a certain
rocket' s .

,
from 0. 98 to 1 . 02. Using the equations
i=
.

,
. .

,
;

,
-
,
. i

') ,
he was unable to obtain a new maximum range ;

,
for .

,
- i
Why?
6. 9 A ballistic missile is capable of achieving a burnout velocity of
. 83 DU/TU at an altitude of 1 . 06 DU. What is the maximum free-fight
range of this missile in nautical miles? Assume a symmetrical traj ectory .
. Do not use charts.
(Ans. Rt = 4,2 1 2 r)
6. 1 0 During a test fight, an ICBM is observed to have the following
position and velocity at burnout :

,
- i /: :.
s

,
- i /-k :./.
What is the maximum range capability o f this missile in nautica miles?
(Ans. Rt = 5 ,000 r)
6. 1 1 A rocket testing facility located at 30
0
N, 1 00
0
W launches a
missile to impact at a latitude of 70
0
8. A lateral displacement , .) in
the launch causes the rocket to burn out east of the intended burnout
point. In what direction will the error at impact be?
6. 1 2 Assuming that the maximum allowable cross-range error at the
impact point of a ballistic missile is 1 . 0 n m where the free fght range
of the ballistic missile is 5 ,400 n mi, how l arge can and L be?
31 6
BALL I STI C MI SSI LE TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch. 6
6. 1 3 A malfunction causes the flight-path angle of a ballistic missile
to be geater than nominal. How will this afect the missile' s free-fight
range? Consider three separate cases:
a. ;
,,
was less than ;
,,
for maximum range.
b. ,_was greater than
,
for maximum range .
c. ;
,,
was equal to ;
,,
for maximum range.
6. 1 4 A ballistic missile has been l aunched with the following
burnout errors :
Lr = 0. 6888 n mi
LV = -25 . 936 fps
where the infuence coeffcients have been calculated to be :

.
= i

.
=
. __

.
a. Determine the error at the impact point in n mi .
(Ans. 7. 346 n mi long)
b. Is this a hig, low, or maximum range traj ectory? Why?
6 . 1 5 In general will a given cause a larger error in a high or low
traj ectory? Why?
6. 1 6 Assuming

= . . for a ballistic missil e, what is the
minimum burnout velocity required to achieve a free-fight range of
1 , 800 nautical miles?
(Ans.

_= 0. 642 DU/TU)
Ch. 6 EXERCI SES
31 7
6. 1 7 A ballistic missile whose maximum free-fight range i s 3 , 600 n
mi is to be launched from the equator on the Greenwich meridian
toward a target located at 45
0
N, 30
0
E, using a minimum time-of-fight
traj ectory. What should the figt-path angle be at burnout? Neglect the
atmosphere and assume
`
,,

`
,,
maximum.
6. 1 8 Show that for maximum range :
`
,,
- i 3 where
e
is the
eccentricity.
6. 1 9 An ICBM is to be figt-tested over a total range , R
t
of 4, 700 n
mi using a high trajectory. Burnout will occur 45 n mi down-range at a
`
of . 8 and an altitude of
i
50 n mi . Re-entry range is calculated at 1 5 5
n mi . What will be the time of free-fight?
(Ans. t f 40. 4 min)
6. 20 A ballistic missile which burned out at 45
0
N, 1 5 0
0
E, at an
altitude of 2. 092574 x 1 0
6
ft will re-enter at 45
0
N, 1 20
0
W, at the same
altitude , using a "backdoor " traj ectory (' > 1 80
0
). If the velocity at
burnout was 28, 530 ft/sec, what was the fight-path angle at burnout?
6. 21 A ballistic missile
'
s traj ectory is a portion of an ellipse whose
apogee is 1 . 5 DU and whose perigee is . 5 DU. Assuming burnout
occurred at sea level on a spherical earth, what is the free-fight range
expressed in nautical miles? Assume a symmetrical traj ectory. Do not
use charts .
6. 22 The range error equation could be written as:

-

`
-
..
,,

`
,,
,,

,,
Derive and expression for
0
in terms of
`
,,
'
,,

`
,,
and analyze the result , i. e . , determine whether the infuence coeficient
is always positive or negative and if so what it means.
6. 23 A ballistic mssile has the following nominal burnout
conditions :
31 8
BAL L I STI C MI SSI L E TRAJ ECTOR I ES

,,
-. .. /..-. e. ...

-..

ee . - ..

,
,,
-.
,
The following errors exist at burnout :

,,
- /.. -
. ../.

,,
-
-

. n m
-
- i .

..
,
,,
-
-. ../
`
-
.

++ +.
a. How far will the missile miss the target?
(Ans. 4.02 nm)
b. Is the shot long or short?
c. Is this a high, low, or maximum range traj ectory?
Ch. 6
6. 24 A rocket booster is programmed for a true velocity relative to
the center of the Earth at burnout of
.
,,
- .:

e. .. c-..: z /..
Wat must the speed, elevation, and azimuth relative to the launch site
be at burnout? Launch site coordinates are 28
0
N, 1 20
0
W. Do not
assume a nonrotating Earth.
(artial answer : ,

= 60
0
)
*6. 25 An ICBM is to be figt tested. It is desired that the missile
display the following nominal parameters at burnout :
= 2. 0926 x 1 0
5
f

= 20.48966 7 | a

ft/sec
,

= 3 1 5 . 2
0

44. 5
0
Ch. 6 EXE RCI SES
31 9
All angles and velocities are measured relative t o the l aunch site
located
at 30
0
N, 1 20
O
.
During the actual fring, the followng errors were measured:
-

30
'
,
4
e
- 1 2
'
, down-range displacement of burnout point . 73 n mi .
Wat are the coordinates of the missile
'
s re-entry point? Assume a
symmetrical traj ectory and do not assume a nonrotating Earth.
(Ans. .
t
54
0
3 1 ',

t
1 79
0
23 W)
*
6. 26 An ICBM located at 60
0
N, 1 60
0
E is programmed against a
target located on the equa
t
or at 1 1 5
0
W using a minimum velocity
traj ectory. What should the time of fight be? Assume a spherical ,
rotating, atmosphereless Earth, and r _ r (.
(Ans. t 32. 57 min)
*
6. 27 A requirement exists for a balistic missile with a total range of
7,400 nautical miles where :

1 40 n mi

60 n mi
r
,,
= 2 1 . 8 ( 1 0)
6
feet
a. Assuming a symmetric orbit, what is the minimum burnout
velocity required to reach a target at this range?
b . What is the required
:
,,
:
(Ans.
:
,,
1 5
0
)
c. What will be the time of free fligt (t
f
)?
d. In order to overshoot the impact point would you increase or
decrease the elevation angle? Explain.
*6. 28 A balistic missile burns out at an altitude of 1 72. 1 967 n m
with a J= The maximum altitude achieved during the ensuing fight
is 1 ,6 1 8 . 649 n m. What was the free-fight range, in nautical mil es?
Assume a symmetrical traj ectory.
320
BAL LI STI C MI SSI L E TRAJ ECTOR I ES Ch. 6
*
6. 29 Derive the fight-path angle equation (6. 2- 1 6) from the
free-fight range equation (6. 2- 1 2) . (Hint : See section 6. 3 . 4)
*
6. 30 A ballistic missile is targeted with the following parameters :

c '`

]]
1 0, 800 mi , altitude at

-. 02 DU. What will be the

time of free-fight? Do not use charts .
*
6. 3 1 The approximation:
6' ` 6
<
bo
-
6
r
b_
+
6vbo
O<
bo
+

O
V
bo
is only useful for small values of the in-plane errors6
<
bo
, 6r
bo
and
^\_
_
. How could this equation be modified to accomodate larger
errors? (Hint : Use a Taylor series expansion, and truncate all terms
third degree and higher).
LIST OF REFERENCES
1. Burgess, Eri c. Long-Range Ballistic Missiles. New York, NY, The
MacMillan Company, 1 962.
2. Dornberger , Walter. V-2. New York, N, The Viing Press, 1 95 5 .
3. Schwiebert, Ernest G. A History of the U. S. Air Force Ballistic
Missiles. New York, NY, Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers, 1 965 .
4. Gantz, Lt Col Kenneth, ed. The United States Air Force Report on
the Ballistic Missile. Garden City, N, Doubleday & Company, Inc,
1 958.
5 . Wheelon, Albert D. "Free Flight , " Chapter 1 of An Intoduction to
Ballistic Missiles. Vol 2. Los Angeles, Calif, Space Technology
Laboratories, Inc, 1 960.