Abstract With the progress of SpaceX’s Starship system, a fully reusable launch system appears possible in near future. this technological advance, new class transport missions could become economically feasible: Rocket-propelled passengers and cargo at near-orbital speeds from one point on Earth to another. This mission type is investigated for two reference vehicles: SpaceX SpaceLiner concept...

Covers advancements in spacecraft and tactical strategic missile systems, including subsystem design application, mission analysis, materials structures, developments space sciences, processing manufacturing, operations, applications of technologies to other fields.

Flying a rover from low earth orbit to the surface of the moon requires an interstage structure. This interstage structure serves two main purposes: to contain the rocket motors used for trans lunar injection and braking, and to support the lander and rover inside the launch vehicle payload fairing. The interstage is subject to various forces imposed by the launch vehicle, and must be designed ...

The Space Transportation System (STS) consists of three primary components; an Orbiter Vehicle, an External Fuel Tank, and two Solid Rocket Boosters. The Orbiter Vehicle and Solid Rocket Boosters are reusable components, and as such, they are susceptible to durability issues. Recently, the fatigue load spectra for these components have been updated to include load histories acquired during the ...

This research proposes two methods to investigate the robustness differences between competing types of advanced space launch systems. These methods encompass two different phases of the advanced design process and are used to compare the relative advantages of two concepts in these phases. The first is a Monte Carlo simulation during the conceptual phase of design, where mold lines can be chan...

In this paper, a closedloop strategy in the vertical plane is derived in order to determine the thrust direction of a launch vehicle in terms of velocitiestobe gained The two velocities-to-be-gained are utilized, here, for a given altitude and zero vertical speed in a specied nal time The formulation is obtained for constant gravity assumption, but it works when the velocitiesto-be-gained are o...

NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory are involved in a Joint System Study (JSS) on Two-Stage-to-Orbit (TSTO) vehicles. The JSS will examine the performance, operability and analysis uncertainty of unmanned, fully reusable, TSTO launch vehicle concepts. NASA is providing a vehicle concept using turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion on the booster stage and an all-rocket orbiter. T...

In the near future, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) usage will expand into the Naval aircraft carrier operating environment. The new and different capabilities of these vehicles will likely introduce numerous potential changes in the nature of deck operations. The presence of UAVs and wireless data communications will enable centralized planning and control of la...