Natural Environmental Service Support to NASA Vehicle, Technology, and Sensor Development Programs

The research performed under this contract involved definition of the natural environmental parameters affecting the design, development, and operation of space and launch vehicles. The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) provided the manpower and resources to accomplish the following tasks: defining environmental parameters critical for design, development, and operation of launch vehicles; defining environmental forecasts required to assure optimal utilization of launch vehicles; and defining orbital environments of operation and developing models on environmental parameters affecting launch vehicle operations

Earth-to-orbit launch for vehicles for manned Mars mission application

Manned Mars missions (MMMs) will require payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO) much heavier and larger than can be accommodated with the Shuttle. Three typical launch vehicles are described that could possibly satisfy the MMM needs. The vehicle concepts include Shuttle Derived Vehicles (SDVs), which are composed essentially of Shuttle components, and Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles (HLLVs), which utilize new and improved technologies and require additional development

Exploiting technological synergies for future launch vehicles

Two launch vehicle concepts based on technologies available today or in a short term future in Western Europe are presented. The design of both launchers has the goal of exploiting synergies with current European programs to limit development and operational costs. Technologies of particular interest here are the high performance solid rocket motors with carbon-epoxy filament wound monolithic motor cases and the future high performance cryogenic expander cycle engine Vinci. The first concept dubbed ANGELA (A New GEneration LAuncher) is a study financed with funds of the German Ministry of Economics and managed by the DLR Space Administration. The project, which started in the summer of 2012 aims at designing a low cost versatile launcher able to place payloads between 2 and 5 tons into GTO. Three architectures have been considered during the first phase of the study. This phase was concluded in March 2013 with the preliminary stagings, which will be the starting point of more detailed analyses. The first architecture is made out of an H110 (stage with 110 tons of LOx/LH2) equipped with two Vulcain 2 engines with shortened nozzles and an H29 propelled by a Vinci engine. In addition the variation of the number of P36 solid rocket boosters allow to reach the entire range of payload performance. The second architecture differs from the first one only by the use of a new staged-combustion engine instead of two Vulcain 2 engines. The new engine, which should deliver 1800 kN in vacuum, allows a reduction of the size of the stages to H90-H24, enhanced with P34 boosters. The third and last architecture is a so called Multi PPH. The first stage is a bundle of 2 or 3 P120 solid rocket motors. The second stage is made out of one single P120, strictly similar to those used for the first stage. Finally the upper stage is an H23 equipped with a Vinci engine, the same as the two other architectures. The second launcher concept described in this paper is the small TSTO launch vehicle. It consists of a large solid rocket motor first stage P175 and a cryogenic upper stage propelled by the Vinci engine, H26. The preliminary design performed at DLR-SART considers two target performances. The light version of the small TSTO shall perform Galileo satellite replacement single launch missions to MTO corresponding to a payload performance of about 1400 kg in GTO. A heavy version of the launch vehicle shall be able to launch payloads up to 3000 kg in GTO. The performance increase for the heavy version is made possible by the addition of two pairs of P23 boosters, the second pair being ignited with a delay

Payload optimization of multistage launch vehicles

Payload optimization of multistage launch vehicle- generalized Bolza problem for maximal payload capability analysi

Improved analytic longitudinal response analysis for axisymmetric launch vehicles. Volume I - Linear analytic model

Improved analytic longitudinal response analysis for axisymmetric launch vehicles - linear mode

Conestoga Launch Vehicles

Several major applications for commercial and government markets have developed recently which will make use of small satellites. A launch vehicle designed specifically for small satellites brings many attendant benefits. Space Services Incorporated has developed the Conestoga family of launch vehicles to meet the needs of five major markets: low orbiting communication satellites, positioning satellites, earth sensing satellites, space manufacturing prototypes, and scientific experiments. The Conestoga provides low cost, rapid schedules, one-stop shopping, flexible launch sites, multiple satellite depl

Control System Optimization for Saturn 5 Launch Vehicles Using Gradient Techniques Final Report

Control system optimization for Saturn 5 launch vehicles using gradient technique

Improved analytic longitudinal response analysis for axisymmetric launch vehicles. Volume II - Computer program description

Improved analytic longitudinal response analysis for axisymmetric launch vehicles - computer program descriptio

Solar power satellite system definition study. Part 2, volume 8: SPS launch vehicle ascent and entry sonic overpressure and noise effects

Recoverable launch vehicle concepts for the Solar Power Satellite program were identified. These large launch vehicles are powered by proposed engines in the F-1 thrust level class. A description of the candidate launch vehicles and their operating mode was provided. Predictions of the sonic over pressures during ascent and entry for both types of vehicles, and prediction of launch noise levels in the vicinity of the launch site were included. An overall assessment and criteria for sonic overpressure and noise levels was examined

Transfer Function Approximations for Large Highly Coupled Elastic Boosters with Fuel Slosh

Transfer function approximations for large highly coupled flexible body launch vehicles with liquid fuel slos