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The key to opening the use of space to private enterprise and to broader public uses lies in reducing the cost of the transportation to space. More routine, affordable access to space will entail aircraft-like quick turnaround and reliable operations. Currently, the space Shuttle is the only reusable launch vehicle, and even parts of it are expendable while other parts require frequent and extensive refurbishment. NASA's highest priority new activity, the Reusable Launch Vehicle program, is directed toward developing technologies to enable a new generation of space launchers, perhaps but not necessarily with single stage to orbit capability. This book assesses whether the technology development, test and analysis programs in propulsion and materials-related technologies are properly constituted to provide the information required to support a December 1996 decision to build the X-33, a technology demonstrator vehicle; and suggest, as appropriate, necessary changes in these programs to ensure that they will support vehicle feasibility goals.
The United States is embarked on a journey toward maturity as a spacefaring nation. One key step along the way is development of a reusable launch vehicle (RLV). The most recent National Space Transportation Policy (August 1994) assigned improvement and evolution of current expendable launch vehicles to the Department of Defense while National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA) is responsible for working with industry on demonstrating RLV technology. The purpose of this study is to help ensure the US military, especially the USAF, is prepared to take advantage of RLVs should the NASA-led effort to develop an RLV demonstrator prove successful. The focus of this study is an explanation o...
Space transportation is one of the most essential elements for enabling activities in space. For current rockets, reliability is too low and launch cost is too high when compared to aircraft operations. Reusable Launch Vehicles could solve these deficiencies and are being investigated by many companies. This book contains a databank of 300 worldwide suborbital and orbital Reusable Launch Vehicle concepts. It covers ideas from the first concepts, such as Silver Bird, proposed by Eugen Saenger in 1944, to present ones such as SpaceShipOne, proposed by Burt Rutan in 2003, as well as all X Prize candidates. For reader friendly use, all information is prepared in the same data style, which makes this book a unique reference for rocket scientists as well as everybody interested in and fascinated by rockets. An introduction to space transportation systems, a study on the motivation for developing Reusable Launch Vehicles and a discussion about the benefit of an international Reusable Launch Vehicle program complete this book.
What Is Reusable Launch System When transporting payloads from Earth's surface into outer space, a reusable launch vehicle has pieces that may be retrieved and used again in subsequent launches. The stages of the rocket are the most frequent component of the launch vehicle that is intended for reuse. There is also the possibility of reusing smaller components, like as rocket engines and boosters, however it is possible for reusable spacecraft to be launched atop an expendable launch vehicle. The production of these components is not required for reusable launch vehicles, which results in a considerable reduction in the overall cost of the launch. The expense of recovery and restoration, on t...
In this paper, we will examine a configuration for a reusable military launch vehicle (RMLS) concept. This configuration allows for the vehicle to land in an inverted attitude. Such inverted landing improves the turnaround time of the vehicle by reducing the maintenance requirements of the vehicle's thermal protection system. An analysis is performed to examine the impacts by the configuration on stability, control, and footprint for an RMLS configuration.
This thesis identifies useful tools and techniques available to aid the Air Force development of a reusable launch vehicle (RLV). These tools are identified by comparing traits found within the Lean Aerospace Initiative, Six Sigma and systems engineering. While identified specifically for the RLV effort, these tools and techniques will be of use to many development programs. Historical perspectives of both RLV development efforts within the Air Force and origins of modern quality teachings are provided to establish a common foundation of knowledge, upon which, further analysis can be conducted. This thesis, also, summarizes the current RLV effort within the Air Force and NASA. With the tool-set identified and the RLV effort enumerated, the tool-set and RLV effort are matched to determine the current level of integration. More importantly, the tools-set serves as the basis to form specific recommendations to aid the Air Force RLV effort.
On June 15, 2011, the Air Force Space Command established a new vision, mission, and set of goals to ensure continued U.S. dominance in space and cyberspace mission areas. Subsequently, and in coordination with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Space and Missile Systems Center, and the 14th and 24th Air Forces, the Air Force Space Command identified four long-term science and technology (S&T) challenges critical to meeting these goals. One of these challenges is to provide full-spectrum launch capability at dramatically lower cost, and a reusable booster system (RBS) has been proposed as an approach to meet this challenge. The Air Force Space Command asked the Aeronautics and Space Engi...
Brings together for the first time details of the technology available and being developed to provide totally reusable launch vehicles for the future exploitation and exploration of space.
Reusable rockets are rockets that can be launched, recovered, and launched again. Reusable rockets are already in use, and they have been used to supply the International Space Station. Reusing rockets will help bring costs down and open access to space for many more people. Includes glossary, websites, and bibliography for further reading.
Currently, the Air Force launches military satellites on expendable launch vehicles to low earth orbit (LEO), and with the use of a chemical upper stage or an apogee kick motor, moves the satellite to a higher orbit. This launch procedure is extremely costly because it requires additional launch preparations, technology considerations, equipment, and fuel. Also, the additional mass of the chemical upper stage causes a larger, and thus more expensive, launch vehicle to be required. An economical alternative is to utilize reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) and reusable orbital launch vehicles (ROTVs). This concept could possibly achieve even greater savings if satellites were dual manifested on the launch vehicles. This thesis determines - by varying mass capacity of RLVs, the cost per kg of RLV mass capacity, and the satellite cost per kg - when, within a given scenario, the savings of dual manifesting is at least ten percent of the cost of single manifesting by developing a dual manifesting algorithm and simulation to analyze possible savings.