A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Heavy Lift System Architecture Study

Abstract

During the NASA Heavy Lift and Propulsion Systems Analysis and Trade Study, Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital) was selected to conduct a study defining a new launch vehicle and the propulsion technology that enables NASA to meet the Nation's exploration goals and objectives. One of Orbital's primary objectives of the study was to analyze multiple Heavy Lift System (HLS) architectures and make recommendations of system concepts capable of affordably conducting the NASA Design Reference Missions (DRMs) for LEO, lunar exploration, and Mars exploration. Orbital implemented a goal-driven process to develop optimal, robust HLS architectures. Requirements analysis and functional decomposition initiated the process, in parallel with identifying options for each of the HLS elements. Following the development of driving requirements, various vehicle configurations, technologies, propellants, and components were assessed and assembled into numerous candidate architectures. Each of these architectures was sized to meet the system requirements and then assessed against weighted system attributes to determine the most effective architectures. Orbital conducted a comprehensive architecture study that explored the entire Heavy Lift System trade space. The study relied primarily on quantifiable results for decision making rather than qualitative judgments. In doing so, several top level objectives related to risk, reliability, affordability, and performance were kept at the forefront during trade study execution. The system trade studies and analyses leveraged Orbital’s Integrated Systems Analysis Process, which connects Orbital’s existing suite of analysis tools inside an integrated design environment to apply multidisciplinary design optimization techniques necessary to fully explore the design space.