Initial Results of the BOLT-1B Flight Experiment
Gregory McKiernan, Cameron Butler, Thomas D. Wolf, Parth Kathrotiya, Prasad Kutty, John Melcher, Bradley M. Wheaton, David Adamczak
Abstract
The Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) series of flight experiments was designed to study hypersonic boundary-layer transition and turbulence on a geometry with low-curvature concave surfaces and highly-swept leading edges. A re-fly of the BOLT-1A flight experiment, named BOLT-1B, was designed, fabricated, and tested in preparation for flight from Andøya Space in Norway. BOLT-1B was successfully launched on September 2nd, 2024 at 0941 UTC. A best estimate atmosphere has been completed and preliminary reconstructions of the as-flown trajectory show Mach 7 experimental windows with vehicle angles of attack and side slip angles below 1