Overview of conceptual design of early VentureStar configurations

Abstract

ABSTRACTOne of NASA's goals is to enable commercial ac-cess to space at a cost of $1000/lb (an order of magni-tude less than today's cost) by approximately 2010. Basedon results from the 1994 Congressionally mandated,NASA led, Access-to-Space Study, an all rocket-pow-ered single-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicle wasselected as the best option for meeting the goal. To ad-dress the technology development issues and the follow-on development of an operational vehicle, NASA initi-ated the X-33 program. The focus of this paper is on thecontributions made by the NASA Langley Research Cen-ter (LaRC), from !997-1998, to the conceptual design ofthe Lockheed Martin Skunk Work's (LMSW) operationalreusable single-stage-to-orbit VentureStar TM vehicle. TheLaRC effort has been in direct support of LMSW andNASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The pri-mary objectives have been to reduce vehicle dry weightand improve flyability of the VentureStar TM concepts.This paper will briefly describe the analysis methods usedand will present several of the concepts analyzed anddesign trades completed.NOMECLATUREEELVCFDcgGLOWISSLaRCLH2LMSWLOXEnhanced Expendable Launch VehicleComputational Fluid DynamicsCenter of GravityGross Lift Off WeightInternational Space StationNASA Langley Research CenterLiquid HydrogenLockheed Martin Skunk WorksLiquid Oxygen"Research Engineer, Vehicle Analysis Branch,Aerospace Systems Concepts and Analysis Competency,Member AlAA.Copyright © 2000 American Institute of Aeronautics andAstronautics, Inc. No copyright is asserted in the United Statesunder Title t7, U.S. Code. The U.S. Government has a royalty-free license to exercise all rights under the copyright claimedherein for Governmental purposes. All other rights are reservedby the copyright owner.LQRMSFCRCSRLVSSTOTPSLinear Quadratic RegulatorNASA Marshall Space Flight CenterReaction Control SystemReusable Launch VehicleSingle Stage to OrbitThermal Protection SystemBACKGROUNDOne of NASA's goals is to enable commercial accessto space at a cost of $ 1000/lb (an order of magnitude lessthan today's cost) by approximately 2010. Based on re-sults from the 1994 Congressionally mandated, NASAled, Access-to-Space Study, an all rocket-powered sin-gle-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) reusable launch vehicle (RLV)was selected as the best option for meeting the goal.However, the study also concluded that significant ad-vances in technology would be required before such avehicle would be feasible. To address the technologydevelopment issues and the follow-on development of anoperational vehicle, NASA initiated the X-33 program.A multiple industry partner/NASA Phase I study, start-ing in !994, was followed by a competition for the PhaseII Program in 1996. Phase H, currently on-going, includesthe design, build and flight test of a technology demon-strator vehicle (the X-33); a ground test program to dem-onstrate critical technologies not tractable or cost effec-tive for inclusion in the X-33 demonstrator; and the con-ceptual-through-preliminary design of an operational,economically viable reusable launch vehicle. Followingthe conclusion of Phase II a decision will be made joint-ly by industry and NASA whether or not to proceed withthe detailed design and fabrication of a reusable launchvehicle and corresponding infrastructure.NASA awarded Lockheed Martin Skunk Works theX-33 Phase II contract. LMSW's operational single-stage-to-orbit vehicle concept, known as VentureStar