Launch Vehicle Industry Research Articles

The Relationships between Organizational Factors and Systems Engineering Process Performance in Launching Space Vehicles

The launch vehicle industry has long been considered a pioneering industry in systems engineering. Launch vehicles are large complex systems that require a methodical multi-disciplinary approach to design, build, and launch. Launch vehicles are used to deliver payloads—such as humans, robotic science missions, or national security payloads—to desired locations in space. Previous research has identified deficient or underperforming systems engineering as a leading contributor to launch vehicle failures. Launch vehicle failures can negatively affect national security, the economy, science, and society, thus highlighting the importance of understanding the factors that influence systems engineering in launch vehicle organizations in the United States. The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate the relationships between organizational factors and systems engineering process performance. Structural equation modeling was used to develop a model of the relationships of these factors and test hypotheses. The results showed that organizational commitment, top management support, the perceived value of systems engineering, and systems engineering support significantly influence systems engineering process performance in the launch vehicle industry. Implications of this study for improving the performance of systems engineering in launch vehicle organizations are discussed.

Realistic sunshade system at L1 for global temperature control

So far, space-based geoengineering has rarely been studied from a practical point of view, considered unrealistic as a near-future alternative to fight climate change. This paper evaluates the feasibility of implementing a space sunshade in the vicinity of the first Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system by the middle of the century. The analysis considers the necessary technological development, the possible trajectories for the shades, and an approximation of the size and cost of the system. It is strongly dependent on the possible optical properties of future solar sails, so an optimal and a more conservative alternative have been studied. With the latter, the shade will be formed by 1.5 × 109 sailcraft with a sail area of 2500 m2 and a total mass of 8.3 × 1010 kg. In the optimal case, the total mass is 3.4 × 1010 kg. Each one of these sails will be launched to a 2000 km orbit, from where they will travel for about 600 days to the equilibrium point using solar radiation pressure. The total cost of the mission is estimated to be five to ten trillion dollars, based on a launch cost of US$50/kg. There are two main technological challenges for this to become a reality: the low TRL of the solar sails proposed and the necessary development in the launch vehicle industry given the dimensions of the mission.

Launch vehicle systems engineering life‐cycle evolution and comparison

AbstractHistorically, through extensive government involvement, most orbital rocket companies have adopted the government's systems engineering approach. However, over the past decade, the Federal government has been less involved in the development of new launch vehicles. The diminishing involvement by the Federal government has given way to the rise of nontraditional systems engineering life‐cycle approaches for launch vehicle development. This paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of the different system engineering life‐cycle approaches in the launch vehicle industry.

Thermal conductivity estimation of high solid loading particulate composites: A numerical approach

The problem addressed here is the determination of thermal conductivity of high solid loading particulate composites through computational techniques. The primary material of study is a composite solid propellant which is used extensively in the launch vehicle industry and also has application in missiles for the defence sector. Composite propellants generally have a very high solid loading of reinforced particles as compared to the conventional composite materials (particulate composites). Thermal diffusivity is one of the important properties of a propellant which plays a role in determining the thermal profile inside the solid phase of the propellant during its combustion. The thermal profile dictates the energy stored in the condensed phase. The specific heat capacity of the solid and density of the solid depend on the volume, while surface area along with volume could be the controlling parameters in determining thermal conductivity. This study evaluates the thermal conductivity of wide range of composite solid propellants using a numerically developed finite volume model. For this, a simulated propellant pack is constructed using a random packing method, assuming particles as spheres. The results of few of the packs are compared with experiments. The simulations predict a slightly lower value compared to the experimental results probably due to the spherical nature of the particles assumed here. The contact between two particles (spheres) is a point while AP and Al particles are not exactly spherical in nature. As a consequence, the contact surface area is reduced and this reduces the paths of least resistance that could be available for heat flow. The paper brings out the pitfalls of using homogenization of fine sized particles with the matrix.

The SpaceX Effect

Abstract Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) had demonstrated its reusable launch vehicle technology by recovering and reusing the core stage of its Falcon 9 launch vehicles. SpaceX believes reusable launch vehicles will enable its vision of colonizing Mars. This had unleashed pricing competition as SpaceX had begun offering low-cost access to space. Rival launch service providers, although contentious of SpaceX business model, are planning to introduce reusable launch systems into their product mix. This article offers a survey of such launch service providers from 4 distinct geographical regions with varying degrees of public-to-private ownership and catering to different requirements. The study conveys that regardless of these variables, reusability is fast becoming the norm of the launch vehicle industry. Interestingly, managers of these programs do not shy from admitting that Elon Musk and SpaceX are influential factors in their decision-making. The article argues that the space indus...

Full-Scale Pyroshock Separation Test: Attenuation with Distance

Pyroshock events in space vehicles lead to high-magnitude short-duration structural transient events that can cause malfunction or degradation of electronic components, cracks or fractures in brittle materials, local plastic deformation, or materials to experience accelerated fatigue life. As a result, analysts in the launch vehicle industry commonly define environments creating criteria for component testing or load factor development to ensure that designs are capable of surviving these events. With the conservatism in these environment definitions and the inherent high-magnitude response of the excitation, the need for knockdown factors exists. In the 1960s, Martin Marietta performed testing to develop a set of knockdown factors looking at shock attenuation with distance. With the advancement of data acquisition technology, however, the need to validate their work exists. This work looks at full-scale separation pyroshock test data collected by Orbital ATK during NASA’s Ares I-X program and compares it to the historical standard provided by Martin Marietta. The available data generally suggest that the historical standard is not a conservative estimate of the attenuation with distance for shock loading. The implication of this occurs when using the attenuation standard for load reduction; hardware could be put at risk. Further testing to validate or update the standard should be conducted.

한국의 우주발사체 산업 발전을 위한 우주발사서비스 시장진입 전략 평가

국가위상 제고와 국내 발사체산업 발전에 따른 경제 발전을 위하여 우주발사서비스 시장진입은 필수적이다. 발사체 개발의 후발주자로써 시장에 효과적으로 진입하기 위해서는 시장의 트렌드를 정확하게 파악하고, 체계적인 시장진입전략을 수립하여야한다. 본 논문에서는 세계 우주발사서비스 시장의 3가지 핵심트렌드(고성능의 대형 우주발사체 수요 증가, 저가형 우주발사체 증가, Dual/Multi-Launch 증가)를 도출하고, 각 핵심트렌드에 대응하기 위한 전략의 우선순위를 쌍대비교분석법을 통해 평가하였다. 그 결과 모든 트렌드 하에서 발사체 신뢰성 확보 전략이 가장 중요하며, 고성능의 대형 우주발사체 수요 증가 트렌드 하에서는 정부 지원 전략이, 저가형 우주발사체 및 Dual/Multi-Launch 증가 트렌드 하에서는 가격 경쟁력 확보전략이 두 번째 우선순위를 보였다. This paper suggests the significant strategies and their priority to deal with space transportation market trends. First, market trends related with technical improvement and change in demand are analyzed by the literature research. The three key trends are obtained: 'Increasing Demand of High-Performance Launch Vehicles', 'Rising of Low-Price Launch Vehicles', and 'Rising of Dual/Multi-Launch'. And then, strategies for developing the launch vehicle industry in Korea are selected from several studies about commercialization of Korean launch vehicle. The strategies are evaluated by the experts through pairwise comparison matrix and the criteria for this process is how significantly does the strategy effect on the launch vehicle industry through market assessment. As a result, reliable order of priority among the strategies are obtained. Under the three key trends, strategy to enhance reliability is most important. And, strategy to have price competitiveness has secondary priority to deal with 'Rising of Low-Price Launch Vehicles' trend and 'Rising of Dual/Multi-Launch' trend. On the contrary, strategy of government's support is secondary under 'Increasing Demand of High-Performance Launch Vehicles' trend.

Failing to Learn? The Effects of Failure and Success on Organizational Learning in the Global Orbital Launch Vehicle Industry

It is unclear whether the common finding of improved organizational performance with increasing organizational experience is driven by learning from success, learning from failure, or some combination of the two. We disaggregate these types of experience and address their relative (and interactive) effects on organizational performance in the orbital launch vehicle industry. We find that organizations learn more effectively from failures than successes, that knowledge from failure depreciates more slowly than knowledge from success, and that prior stocks of experience and the magnitude of failure influence how effectively organizations can learn from various forms of experience.

Expendable launch vehicle industry ready for comsat rebound

Expendable launch vehicle industry ready for comsat rebound

Non-Geo systems—where have all the satellites gone?

Non-GEO satellites were being hailed as the means that would bring connectivity to the masses. Anyone, it was said, would be able to buy a portable telephone that would allow them, no matter where they might be, to call or be called by anyone else in the world. In the early 1990s, there were predictions that, by now, literally many hundreds of new non-geostationary communications satellites would be in orbit. Furthermore, people all over the world would also be able to buy an inexpensive satellite terminal that would allow them to access the Internet with a broadband connection, at prices on par with or even far below what the terrestrial competition would be able to offer. Many companies were set up to compete to establish this “Nirvana of Communications.” To do so, however, the companies in question would have to attract sufficient financial backing from investors to actually begin such an undertaking. Surprisingly, at least in retrospect, a tremendous amount of investment capital was forthcoming, and a number of contracts were awarded to manufacturers to develop the requisite satellite systems. Today, almost a decade later, satellite manufacturers and their suppliers have been subjected to a massive belt-tightening exercise as contracts were cancelled and expected future orders were not forthcoming. The launch vehicle industry, which had geared up to meet the bonanza of expected launch orders, is also going hungry. Where are all the proposed systems? This paper will attempt to answer this question, as well as to provide some insight into why the systems that are no longer with us fell by the wayside. Finally, it will look into the future and try to predict what the long-term prospects might be for non-GEO communication satellites in general.

Methodology for Cost-Benefit Analysis of Space Launch Infrastructure

Resources for improving space launch infrastructure are very limited and must be used in a manner that most effectively contributes to the safety and competitiveness of the launch vehicle industry. A benee t ‐cost methodology for assessing the impacts of investments in space launch infrastructure is dee ned. Potential infrastructure investments are categorized based on an analysis of existing project proposals, range requirements, and industry needs. The categories used include space launch vehicles, improvement/modie cation to an existing launch facility, and new spaceports. The uses and limitations of macroeconomic input/output analysis for assessing the impacts of space launch infrastructure investments is also covered. In considering the overall approach, economic drivers wereexplicitly considered,aswell asperformanceand safety issues. Application of such a structured approach will yield sensitivities that provide an increased understanding of the relative importance of various economic, safety, and environmental concerns.

The smallsat revolution … back to the future?

In engineering, as in the sciences, mathematics and the arts, evolutionary processes ultimately lead to the sophistication of simplicity. The smallsat revolution is producing a return to sensible scales of size, mass, and cost. Space missions evolved from modest flight research to complex, space-based laboratory and operational systems. Continuing growth in vehicle size yielded excessive system complexity, extended design and development cycles, and unrealistic unit flight cost and risk. Technology combined with a collateral user market pull spawned smallsats for simple, short lifetime scientific experiments and technology demonstrations. A small launch vehicle industry emerged to serve a new generation of highly capable smallsats, and networked systems of smallsats. Small satellites can now support long-life, complex operational missions such as commercial communications, earth observations, and military surveillance. Future advances in satellite technologies augur systems built with micro- and nano-scale devices, other breakthroughs, and “spin-in” from non-space, commercial fields. A potential new genre of spacecraft with modular plug-in elements could be employed in standardized model runs. End-to-end design, build and launch schedules will be substantially compressed. Clustered/distributed systems on orbit will be maintained and/or upgraded by replacing relatively inexpensive smallsats.

United States Launch Vehicle Systems

AbstractUnited States policy for national space launch capability provides for a balanced mix of launches, utilizing the Space Shuttle and Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELVs). It also directs government agencies to encourage and support the development of a domestic commercial expendable launch vehicle industry. This is to be accomplished by contracting for necessary ELV launch services directly from the private sector and by facilitating access by commercial launch firms to national launch and launch-related property and services they request to support these commercial operations.The current mixed fleet includes the Space Shuttle and four expendable launch vehicles - Titan, Atlas, Delta and Scout. New small class launch vehicles, including Pegasus, are in development. In addition, studies are underway to assure that the United States has cost-effective, reliable access to space, heavy-lift launch capability, and a new manned spacecraft after the current Space Shuttle reaches the end of its operational life. This paper will highlight the current capabilities of the mixed fleet and summarize the plans for new or modified United States launch vehicles through the first decade of the next century.

Third-party liability insurance and space launches

This article discusses a number of issues related to the US commercial expendable launch vehicle (ELV) industry and government's role in ensuring its competitiveness, particularly third-party liability insurance for space launches. The author finds that the space insurance industry has become a major constraint on the commercial development of space. The future implications are considered of US government involvement with the launch services industry, initially through providing third-party insurance itself. The author concludes that, for a stable commercial ELV industry, it will be necessary for the USA either to establish fair-trade agreements with other space-capable nations, or to maintain a significant government involvement to support the industry.

Rebuilding US launch capabilities

Abstract Attempts to rebuild US commercial launch capabilities through stimulating private industry will be constrained by the fact that free-market competition does not really exist in the space industry. As the worldwide supply of launch vehicles grows, the policy now offered by the US government is only likely to fragment the US space launch vehicle industry. The author argues in favour of a proposal to establish a quasi-governmental corporation for space launches which would both safeguard the interests of government and commercial users and ensure that business acumen was applied.