Development Of Reusable Launch Vehicle Research Articles

Investigation of the landing dynamics of a reusable launch vehicle and derivation of dimension loading for the landing leg

The EU has deemed it crucial to maintain its own independent access to space. To foster the European industry competitiveness, the cost of the European launch systems needs to be reduced and flexibility needs to be improved. The development of reusable launch vehicle (RLV) is currently changing the global market of space transportation systems and is promising immense cost savings. Within this context, MT Aerospace has been investigating the configurations and possible solutions for landing structures at touch-down in the European Funded H2020 project RETALT. This includes the down-selection of previous designs to the current configuration for RETALT1 (Marwege et al. in System definition report, 2022) and the corresponding architecture of the structural landing leg. A screening of the overall requirements down to driving parameters which have the most significant impact on the structural design is done. Landing events like “nominal” simultaneously four leg touch-down landings and critical single leg manoeuvres are analysed to evaluated safe configurations for landing. These investigations have a major influence on the specification of the launcher.

Legal conundrums of space tourism

Private commercial space tourism carrying passengers to outer space is no longer a distant or far-fetched fantasy, rather it is at verge of becoming an affordable reality with exponential development in space technology including development of Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), increasing involvement of private companies like Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Blue Origin etc. into research and funding of space tourism explorations and applications. It is also receiving huge attention from the public. These developments reflect the infinite possibilities and inevitability of space tourism in near future. However, space tourism may also pose many critical legal issues which must be addressed to ensure the consistent and sustainable development of space tourism, and to secure the rights of all stakeholders involved including operators, passengers, launching State etc. The research paper would highlight the crucial legal issues associated with the space tourism. The paper would critically analyze the efficiency of the present international space treaties in dealing with these issues. At the end, the paper would also attempt to provide few suggestions and solutions to these legal conundrums relating to space tourism.

Thermal analysis of advanced plate structures based on ceramic coating on carbon/carbon substrates for aerospace Re-Entry Re-Useable systems

The development of reusable launch vehicles (RLV) must include a significant reduction of the payload transportation costs. One of the most expensive components of a RLV is the thermal protection system (TPS), which preserves the spacecraft from the high thermal loads during re-entry. Reusability and on-orbit environment are key parameters in TPS design, mainly as far as the adopted materials are concerned. Aim of the work is to analyze a novel TPS concept, proposing an hybrid multiscale ceramic coating - i.e., alumina-based varnish enriched by silica nanoparticles - to be applied on Carbon/Carbon (C/C) plates. The treatment is aimed at preserving the thermo-mechanical properties of the ceramic substrate from the detrimental space environment conditions, such as LEO thermal cycles, outgassing due to ultra-high vacuum, as well as Atomic Oxygen/UV irradiation. Experimental measurements of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) are performed in order to evaluate the thermal stress and performance of both substrate and coating layer. Particular emphasis is devoted to evaluate the effect of coating/substrate adhesion, which may result in anomalous mechanical behavior. By the use of a robust numerical technique, known as the inverse method, heat capacity and thermal conductivity are analyzed; such approach is particularly suited to address these kind of problems, as a number of physical parameters concur for a reliable determination of material properties. The special test equipment and the regularizing algorithm for solving the heat conduction problem are described. After thermal conditioning, the integrity of coating and substrate is investigated by full morphological analysis using SEM/EDX techniques.

Research Progress of Key Technologies for Typical Reusable Launcher Vehicles

In recent years, driven by space X and other commercial companies, the requirement of low cost and fast response to transport, reusable launch vehicle technology is attracting the world’s attention. Aerospace agencies in various countries have stepped up research and made some progress in the related technologies of reusable launch vehicles. The development of reusable launch vehicle has become an important direction of space development in the future. First, the development status of reusable vehicles, the Space Shuttle Mode, the Falcon-9 Mode, the Launch Mode on board, and the Airborne Aircraft Mode, are introduced. Second, the structure design, the propulsion system, the recycling scheme, the thermal protection system and the launch costs of each mode is analyzed. Third, some related development suggestions are put forward in terms of the carrier configuration, the design of recycling scheme, the choose of propulsion system and the thermal protection system for reusable launch vehicle designer.

Experimental Study on Thermal Protection System by Opposing Jet in Supersonic Flow

Introduction C URRENTLY, developments of reusable launch vehicle (RLV) for a low-cost space transportation system are in progress. In the development of RLV, one of the most important problems is the severe aerodynamic heating at the nose and leading edges of the vehicle. In such supersonic and hypersonic flights, prediction of aerodynamic heating and construction of proper thermal protection system are especially important. Heat-resistant tiles and ablators are currently used for thermal protection systems. However, those thermal protection systems are not reusable. In the present study, the method using an opposing jet is proposed for fully reusable thermal protection system of RLV. The method can be considered to have almost the same effect of heat reduction at nose region as the method with mechanical spike.1 The opposing jet works as an aerodynamic spike to move the detached shock wave away from the nose and form a recirculation region, which is quite effective to reduce aerodynamic heating at the nose region. The schematic diagram of supersonic flowfields with opposing jet injected at the nose of a blunt body is shown in Fig. 1. In the flowfield, the opposing jet forms a Mach disk and contact surface with freestream. The jet layer reattaches to the body surface and forms a recirculation region between the nozzle exit and reattachment point of the jet layer. The recompression shock wave is formed near the reattachment point of the jet layer. Many studies on opposing jet flow have been conducted in order to reveal the flow mechanism.2−7 However, most of those studies are related to the stability of flowfield and oscillations of shock waves. Except for Warren,6 not much study has been conducted to reveal the effects of opposing jet on reduction of aerodynamic heating. In the present study, geometric ratio of diameters and Mach number are fixed. The flow stability is determined by the total pressure ratio of freestream to opposing jet. We define the total pressure ratio

Key technology for reusable rocket engine turbopump

Recently, there has been an increased need for evolved space transportation and the research of reusable rocket which enable low cost and high reliability and is generating a lot of interest all over the world. In the USA, the development of reusable launch vehicle “Venture Star” which will be used instead of space shuttle is planned and its half scale model “X-33” was developed for the first flight in 1999. In Japan, there has been agreement on the main points to develop the rocket type RLV based on the technology of H-IIA, HOPE-X before developing space plane type RLV. The planned reusable rocket engine was LOX/LH2 as propellant, has 100– 200 ton thrust and has a throttling capability. In addition, long life and high reliability are required for the engine system including LOX/LH2 turbopump. The paper introduces some key technologies for the reusable turbopump which IHI is promoting for research and development with NAL and Tohoku University.

Limited By Cost: The Case Against Humans In The Scientific Exploration Of Space

Human space flight represents a heady mix of bravery and drama which can be inspirational to nations and to humankind but at huge economic cost. Due to the current high launch costs only a handful of people have ventured beyond low Earth orbit and walked on the Moon, propelled by aspirations related more to the Cold War than to science. Problems with reusable launch vehicle development mean that severe launch cost limitations will exist for some time. Meanwhile, cheaper robotic probes have visited all the planets except Pluto, flown by comets, landed on Mars, Venus and an asteroid, have probed Jupiter's atmosphere and studied the Universe beyond our own solar system with telescopes. Using these data we are determining mankind's place in the Universe. Public interest in the historic Eros landing eclipsed a simultaneous space walk at the fledgling International Space Station and the Mars Pathfinder landing generated hundreds of millions of website hits in a few days. Given the fact that hundreds of Mars missions could be flown for the still-escalating cost of the International Space Station, the unsuitability of human bodies for deep space exploration, and the advances in 3-d and virtual reality techniques, we discuss whether human exploration needs a place in a realistic, useful and inspirational space programme.

Experimental Studies on Piloted Supersonic Combustion Using the Petal Nozzle

In recent times, high-speed, airbreathing propulsion research has been receiving considerable attention all over the world. This has come about primarily because of renewed interest in the development of reusable launch vehicles employing multimode propulsive systems. The scramjet, a critical subsystem of these composite engines, is still in the developmental stage. A crucial problem in this development is the realization of rapid mixing and heat release with minimum pressure losses inside the supersonic combustor. Recently, a new mixing technique for high-speed e ows employing large-scale axial vortices was developed. This involved the use of a lobed supersonic primary nozzle referred to as the petal nozzle. The possibility of applying this novel mixing mechanism to piloted supersonic combustors was examined in this work. Results showed that rapid mixing took place between the hot primary (pilot) stream and the cold secondary airstream when the petal nozzle was used. Piloted secondary (supersonic) combustion of kerosene and acetylene was achieved with satisfactory efe ciencies.