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Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program{ Acta Astronautica Vol. 41, No. 11, pp. 777±790, 1997 # 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved Printed in Great Britain PII: S0094-5765(97)00197-5 0094-5765/98 $19.00 + 0.00 REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM{ DELMA C. FREEMAN{ JR. and THEODORE A. TALAY} NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia 23681-0001, USA R. EUGENE AUSTIN} NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812-1000, USA (Received 25 April 1997) AbstractÐIndustry/NASA reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology program eorts are underway to design, test, and develop technologies and concepts for viable commercial launch systems that also satisfy national needs at acceptable recurring costs. Signi®cant progress has been made in understanding the technical challenges of fully reusable launch systems and the accompanying management and oper- ational approaches for achieving a low-cost program. This paper reviews the current status of the RLV technology program including the DC-XA, X-33 and X-34 ¯ight systems and associated technology programs. It addresses the speci®c technologies being tested that address the technical and operability challenges of reusable launch systems including reusable cryogenic propellant tanks, composite structures, thermal protection systems, improved propul- sion, and subsystem operability enhancements. The recently concluded DC-XA test program demon- strated some of these technologies in ground and ¯ight tests. Contracts were awarded recently for both the X-33 and X-34 ¯ight demonstrator systems. The Orbital Sciences Corporation X-34 ¯ight test ve- hicle will demonstrate an air-launched reusable vehicle capable of ¯ight to speeds of Mach 8. The Lock- heed-Martin X-33 ¯ight test vehicle will expand the test envelope for critical technologies to ¯ight speeds of Mach 15. A propulsion program to test the X-33 linear aerospike rocket engine using a NASA SR-71 high speed aircraft as a test bed is also discussed. The paper also describes the manage- ment and operational approaches that address the challenge of new cost-eective, reusable launch ve- hicle systems. #1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved 1. INTRODUCTION|| The RLV technology program has as a goal the development of an all rocket, fully reusable Cost eective, reliable space transportation is a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle. It has several major focus of current government and commercial major elements: the X-33 advanced technology launch industry eorts. The paths to this goal range demonstrator, the X-34 testbed technology demon- from incremental improvements to existing launch strator, and the upgraded DC-XA ¯ight demon- systems, such as the Department of Defense (DoD) strator. The purpose of this paper is to review evolved expendable launch vehicle (EELV) pro- the current status of the RLV technology pro- gram, to new systems that hold the promise of gram. It examines how these elements address the opening the space frontier to a variety of new space technical and operability challenges of reusable industries. In the latter case, the National launch vehicles whose solutions are necessary to Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reduce recurring costs. Management and oper- reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology program ational approaches that address the challenge of is seeking a near-term replacement for the Space new cost-eective, reusable launch vehicle systems Shuttle. are also discussed. {Paper IAF.-96-V.4.01 presented at the 47th International Astronautical Congress, Beijing, China, 7±11 October 2. RLV TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM OVERVIEW 1996. {Director, Aerospace Transportation Technology The goal of the RLV technology program is the Oce, AIAA Fellow. lowering of the cost of access to space to promote }Aerospace Engineer, Space Systems and Concepts the creation and delivery of new space services and Division. }X-33 Program Manager, Member AIAA. other activities that will improve economic competi- ||Nomenclature is given in Appendix at the end of the tiveness. To this end, the program supports the paper development of an all rocket, fully reusable SSTO. 777 778 D. C. Freeman et al. Fig. 1. Reusable launch vehicle technology program schedule. However, the private sector is free to ultimately design and ¯ight demonstrations of one or more select the operational RLV con®guration to be competitive concepts. The X-33 must adequately ¯own in the post-2000 time frame. demonstrate key design and operational aspects of The RLV technology program has several major a future commercially viable RLV. elements that together support its objectives. These The intent of the X-34 solicitation was originally elements are synergistic as illustrated in Fig. 1. to stimulate the joint industry/government funded The core technology program, initiated in early development of a small reusable, or partially reusa- 1994, supports design and manufacture of key tech- ble, booster that had potential application to com- nology elements necessary for an operational RLV. mercial launch vehicle capabilities to provide Testing of initial demonstration articles took place signi®cantly reduced mission costs for placing small using the DC-XA ¯ight test vehicle during the sum- payloads (1000±2000 lb) into a low Earth orbit mer of 1996. The core technology program im- starting in 1998. Importantly, from the NASA per- plements the National Space Transportation Policy spective, the CAN stated that ``the booster must that speci®es, ``Research shall be focused on tech- demonstrate technologies applicable to future reusa- nologies to support a decision no later than ble launch vehicles.'' December 1996 to proceed with a sub-scale ¯ight demonstration which would prove the concept of 3. DC-X, DC-XA single-stage to orbit.'' In January 1995, two Cooperative Agreement In 1990, The Ballistic Missile Defense Notices (CAN 8-1 and 8-2) [1,2] were issued by the Organization (BMDO) initiated the single-stage NASA calling for design and development of a: (1) rocket technology (SSRT) program to demonstrate RLV advanced technology demonstrator designated the practicality, reliability, operability and cost e- the X-33; and a (2) RLV small reusable booster ciency of a full reusable, rapid turnaround single- designated the X-34. stage rocket. Following an initial design compe- NASA's intent with the X-33 solicitation is to tition phase, BMDO awarded McDonnell-Douglas demonstrate critical elements of a future SSTO a $59 M contract in August 1991, with the primary rocket powered RLV by stimulating the joint indus- emphasis on the design and manufacture of a low- try/government funded concept de®nition/design of speed rocket demonstrator vehicle named the DC-X a technology demonstrator, the X-33, followed by (Delta Clipper Experimental), Fig. 2, a subscale ver- Reusable launch vehicle 779 Fig. 2. DC-X at take-o and in ¯ight. sion of the Delta Clipper vertical takeo, vertical Changes, depicted in Fig. 3, included: (1) a switch landing SSTO under study by McDonnell-Douglas. from an aluminum oxygen tank to a Russian-built The goals of the DC-X program [3] were a demon- aluminum±lithium alloy cryogenic oxygen tank with stration of rapid prototyping of hardware and soft- external insulation; (2) a switch from an aluminum ware, demonstration of vertical takeo and landing, cryogenic hydrogen tank to a graphite±epoxy (Gr± aircraft-like operations, and rapid system turn- Ep) composite liquid hydrogen tank with low-den- around. sity reinforced foam internal insulation, (3) a Gr± The DC-X achieved a rapid prototyping develop- Ep composite intertank structure; (4) a Gr±Ep com- ment and ¯ew for the ®rst time two years after the posite feedline/valve assembly; (5) a gaseous hydro- award of the contract. From August 18, 1993 gen/oxygen auxiliary power unit (APU) to drive the through July 7, 1995, the vehicle ¯ew eight test hydraulic systems, and (6) an auxiliary propulsion ¯ights with the test envelope expanded with each system (APS) for liquid-to-gaseous hydrogen con- succeeding ¯ight. The last three ¯ights in particular version for use by the vehicle's reaction control sys- demonstrated engine dierential throttling for ¯ight tem. Manufacture, integration and ground tests control, the use of a gaseous oxygen/hydrogen reac- were completed by May, 1996. tion control thruster module, and engine perform- The DC-XA team, consisting of NASA, ance under wide pitch-over excursions that help McDonnell-Douglas, U.S. Air Force's Phillips demonstrate maneuvers such a vehicle would have Laboratory, and the Army's White Sands Missile to make following re-entry. Ground operations data Range, planned a series of ®ve test ¯ights to focus were collected and ¯ight operations with a small on the basic functionality of the DC-XA system number of personnel demonstrated although one of and its readiness to conduct regular ¯ight oper- the goals, a rapid system turnaround was not ations. This was to include: (1) verifying functional achieved. The test ¯ights were not without incident. integrity and operational suitability of the newly Although a ground explosion on ¯ight No. 5 installed technologies; (2) verifying the hardware severely damaged the vehicle's composite aeroshell, and software functions of the integrated DC-XA ve- the vehicle continued its ¯ight, owing to its rugged hicle, the three-person Flight Operations Control boilerplate construction, and demonstrated its emer- Center, and the Ground Support System (15-person gency autoland system. A faster-than-nominal verti- touch labor) under launch and ¯ight conditions, cal descent to landing on the ¯ight No. 8 damaged and (3) determining the operational characteristics the landing gear and buckled the aeroshell. and ¯ight readiness of the vehicle for any sub- In July 1995, the DC-X was transferred from the sequent ¯ight tests. Re¯ight of the vehicle within U.S. Air Force to NASA for use in the RLV pro- 72 h, a goal that was not achieved during the DC- gram.
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