It is generally assumed by the community that reusable launch vehicles will dramatically reduce launch costs because you don’t “throw away the vehicle” every time it is used. However, this is usually taken as an element of faith, without any substantive analysis to support the conclusion. The example of the Space Shuttle, originally sold to Congress on the basis of dramatically cutting launch c...

This paper addresses the computation of the required trajectory correction maneuvers for a halo orbit space mission to compensate for the launch velocity errors introduced by inaccuracies of the launch vehicle. By combining dynamical systems theory with optimal control techniques, we are able to provide a compelling portrait of the complex landscape of the trajectory design space. This approach...

The planned Ares V launch vehicle with its 10 meter fairing shroud and 55,000 kg capacity to the Sun Earth L2 point enables entirely new classes of space telescopes. NASA MSFC has conducted a preliminary study that demonstrates the feasibility of launching a 6 to 8 meter class monolithic primary mirror telescope to Sun-Earth L2 using an Ares V. Specific technical areas studied included optical ...

In the application of adaptive flight control, significant issues arise due to vehicle input characteristics such as actuator position limits, actuator position rate limits, and linear input dynamics. The concept of modifying a reference model to prevent an adaptation law from “seeing” and adapting-to these system characteristics is introduced. A specific adaptive control method based on this c...

The main limitation of existing computational tools for continuous system reachability problems is that, due to the exponential growth of the computation with the dimension of the continuous state space, the tools can be applied effectively to relatively low dimensional problems (typically 1-4 dimensions). In this paper we adopt a two time scale approach to extend the use of continuous system r...

Current methods for defining the operational support requirements of new systems are data intensive and require significant design information. Methods are being developed to aid in the analysis process of defining support requirements for new launch vehicles during their conceptual design phase that work with the level of information available during this phase. These methods will provide supp...

A procedure is presented to accurately model transient motions of launch vehicles associated with complex flow conditions. The flow is modeled using the Reynolds-Averaged NavierStokes equations with the one-equation Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model. An overset grid system with a curvilinear near-body grid and a Cartesian off body is used. Solution quality is assessed using grid sensitivity and...

Stage separation is a critical technical issue for developing two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) launch systems with widebody carrier aircraft that use air-breathing propulsion and launch vehicle stages that use rocket propulsion. During conceptual design phases, this issue can be addressed with a combination of engineering methods, computational fluid dynamics simulations, and trajectory analysis of th...

This paper addresses Monte Carlo simulation analyses that are being conducted to understand the behavior of the Ares I launch vehicle, and to assist with its design. After describing the simulation and modeling of Ares I, the paper addresses the process used to determine what simulations are necessary, and the parameters that are varied in order to understand how the Ares I vehicle will behave ...