On a Pitot-tube method of upper-atmosphere measurements

The aerodynamic basis of using Pitot-tube pressure at supersonic speeds as an indirect measurement of the upper atmospheric density, pressure, and temperature, up to 80 km, is discussed. A special means of deduction of these ambient variables from corresponding Pitot-tube pressure and other relevant parameters is presented. A unique feature of the method is that it needs only the Pitot-tube pressure and the corresponding forward velocity of the Pitot tube (assuming negligible atmospheric wind-velocity) to determine the ambient variables. This simplification is made possible by invoking laws which describe the characteristic properties of the atmosphere. This simplification, in the physical sense, results in an integral equation for the ambient density. A special and effective method is developed for the solution of this equation.