Just as lift - off of a spacecraft commences, that spacecraft undergoes aerodynamic pressure. After a certain point, the spacecraft reaches Max Q or maximum aerodynamic pressure. I do know that Max Q is calculated before hand to minimize the margin of failure and strengthen the body before hand, my question is, how does one calculate such values and what variables would be required?
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Max Q is a function of atmospheric density, rho, vehicle speed,v, and drag coefficient Cd and reference area A.
rho is dependent primarily on altitude, the NASA standard atmospheric model is useful for that. The drag coefficient depends on the shape of the vehicle, and the speed relative to the speed of sound M, which is entirely dependent on the air temperature, and can be obtained from the NASA standard atmosphere model. Your hardest job will be getting Cd, as I said it is speed dependent.
The force on the vehicle is then 1/2 Cd A rho v^2
