Fall Forum Optional Tours

Guidance Navigation, and Control Labs

• Long Range Precision Fires High-Speed Weapon Systems – The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next generation long range missile that will be fired from existing Army launcher platforms with greater range, lethality, survivability, and missile load-out to penetrate and neutralize enemy Anti-access/Area Denial capabilities. 
• Guidance Hardware Integration Lab – In preparation for a high-speed missile system flight test, the missile guidance software and hardware must undergo rigorous testing and analysis. The most accurate method for testing missile components and software and getting preflight predictions is through Hardware-in-the-Loop testing conducted on multi-axis motion simulation tables. This tour stop will highlight and demonstrate the complexity and required testing infrastructure to evaluate missile component performance and compare against theoretical or simulated predictions.
• Position, Navigation, and Timing Testbed – This lab will highlight traditional GPS/INS as well as emerging alternative and complimentary navigation techniques (vision-based navigation, star tracking, signals of opportunity, etc.) applicable to high-speed weapon systems and discuss their integration status and roadmap on existing aviation and missile platforms.

Advanced Aerospace Materials Labs

• Composite Structures Fabrication Lab – A myriad of processing methodologies are used to create high performance, weight-efficient structures for advanced missile applications. This tour stop will show the various processes involved in working with high strength fibers and advanced polymer matrix materials and gain insight into the filament winding and hand layup processes required for advanced structures.  This will include discussion of processing of materials for extreme environments.
• Advanced Materials Characterization Lab – Before a material can be used for high-speed missile flight, a wide range of material properties must be characterized under a wide range of environmental conditions. This visit will include discussion of the various test methodologies used for structural and thermal characterization and increase awareness of the nuances of working with these complex advanced materials.  Additional attention will be given to working with materials that perform at ultra-high temperatures.
• Structural Testing Lab – There are specific mechanical and thermal tests that must be performed on high-speed missile components before they can be qualified for use. This visit will provide an overview of some of the test equipment and procedures used to verify component structural designs.  Additionally, the visit will include discussion on testing techniques for ultra-high temperature materials with test samples available for viewing.