REDUCING THE COST OF SPACE EXPLORATION WITH REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES

Tyler Kaptain, CSU, Mechanical Engineering; Lucas Kuhns, CSU, Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, CSU, Faculty Advisor

Liquid Fly Back Boosters: Purpose • LFBB were boosters that could Modern society and scientifi c discovery relies heavily on potentially replace the two solid rocket communication satellites, microgravity research labs, and boosters on the shuttle. space telescopes – all of which require space transportation. • They would launch up with the shuttle Space launch systems have been in use since the 1950’s, and after detaching, they would land on a Mass: however the cost remains extremely high. It costs about runway similar to an airplane. 6.5 million $10,000 USD to launch one pound of payload into low- • NASA inhouse study (1998) showed pounds earth orbit (LEO). Research is going into creating Reusable that LFBB is technologically viable, no Launch Vehicles (RLV’s) that have the potential to dramatically technology breakthroughs are needed and Cost: decrease the cost of space travel and accelerate scientifi c affordable main engine candidates are $1/2 Billion research and development. available. (4) History • LFBB was concluded to reduce annual Maximum operations by $400M USD at 7-8 fl ights per Space Shuttle Program (NASA): Number of year. • Partially re-usable, manned launch system Flights: 1 • Developmental costs were too high so the • Vertical take-off, horizontal landing LFBB never got off the drawing board. • 133 successful missions • 6 orbiters built • $450M / launch (1) Buran: • ~$10k / pound to LEO (2) Photo Credit: NASA • A Russian vehicle analagous to • Program active from 1981-2011 NASA’s shuttle • Originally designed as a “space-taxi” to deliver payload to • Launched only once in November low earth orbit. Designed to be rapidly reusable with cost per 1988 Photo Credit: launch in the $20M range. John Gardi • Repairing hundreds of heat shield tiles and restitching the and Jon Ross parachutes after each fl ight involved specialized labor and took more man-hours than expected. Current Designs • The program ended up costing more money than expected. The Falcon 9 rocket, built Also considering safety concerns, the program was by Space Exploration terminated in 2011. • Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is a private Technologies, shows External Tank space company that launches satellites, resupplies the promise for being the fi rst International Space Station, and might transport humans fully reusable rocket. They Solid Rocket to the ISS by 2017. Booster will start with relanding • Grasshopper program began the reusability testing the fi rst stage, the most • SpaceX plans to reuse the fi rst stage of their Falcon 9 expensive part, on a barge Conclusion: Orbiter rocket by landing it vertically on a landing pad fl oating in the Atlantic Ocean. The in the Atlantic Ocean. They will slow the fi rst stage in fi rst stage is fi tted with Space exploration is it’s decent by reigniting one of the nine grid fi ns which will help to very expensive and engines. It will then land on four legs SpaceX’s Grasshopper direct the fi rst stage in it’s will remain so until the testing f rst-stage reusability which are deployed before touchdown. decent from 50 miles to launch vehicle can be • Recovering and reusing the fi rst stage the landing site. The fi rst fully reused. NASA’s will lower the cost of launch since the stage also has landing legs Space Shuttle Program fi rst stage alone makes up about 3/4 of to support the rocket after was a partial success NASA’s space shuttle lifting off NASA’s cost for the Falcon 9 rocket. it lands vertically. but took too much time • The cost of launch for an expendable and money to prepare for Photo Credit: NASA Falcon 9 is ~$61.2M USD. (5) another fl ight. Progress • Adding enough fuel and equipment to NASA’s RLV Program (1990’s): has been made in the make the Falcon 9 reusable would result • Involved bids from three major companies: McDonnell private sector with in 30% less total payload reaching orbit. Douglas, Boeing and Lockheed Martin SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket • The reusable Falcon 9-R (reusable • Lockheed’s X-33 promised to decrease $10,000 / lb launch but as of today, there is model) has already carried DSCOVR to price to $1,000 / lb (3) no fully reusable launch orbit and resupplied the ISS with these • X-33 was a Single-Stage-To-Orbit (SSTO) RLV that used vehicle available. weight constraints. Photo Credit: SpaceX linear aerospike engines • Douglas created the DC-X, a Photo Credit: SpaceX single stage to orbit (SSTO) RLV Citations: that lands vertically. It could “If one can fi gure out how to effectively reuse rockets just like 1) Dunbar, Brian. “Space Shuttle and International Space Station.” NASA. NASA, 21 May 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2015. potentially be refueled where it airplanes, the cost of access to space will be reduced by as much 2 “Advanced Space Transportation Program: Paving the Highway to Space.” NASA. NASA, 22 Nov. landed and launch immediately 2004. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. as a factor of a hundred. A fully reusable vehicle has never been 3) Dunbar, Brian. “X-33 Advanced Technology Demonstrator.” NASA. NASA, 27 Mar. 2007. Web. 05 Apr. which would yield fast turn done before. That really is the fundamental breakthrough needed to 2015. around times. 4) Healy, T. J., Jr. “Shuttle Liquid Fly Back Booster Confi guration Options.” (1998) NASA Technical revolutionize access to space.” -Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX Reports Server. Web. 29 Mar. 2015 • Cancelled after technical Artist’s Concept of X-33 5) Belfi ore, Michael. “Musk: SpaceX Has All the Pieces For Reusable Rockets.” Musk: SpaceX Now Has “All the Pieces” For Truly Reusable Rockets. Popular Mechanics, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2015. diffi culties and developmental Photo Credit: NASA costs