UK Government Review of Commercial Spaceplane Certification and Operations Summary and Conclusions
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Quality and Reliability: APL's Key to Mission Success
W. L. EBERT AND E. J. HOFFMAN Quality and Reliability: APL’s Key to Mission Success Ward L. Ebert and Eric J. Hoffman APL’s Space Department has a long history of producing reliable spaceflight systems. Key to the success of these systems are the methods employed to ensure robust, failure-tolerant designs, to ensure a final product that faithfully embodies those designs, and to physically verify that launch and environmental stresses will indeed be well tolerated. These basic methods and practices have served well throughout the constantly changing scientific, engineering, and budgetary challenges of the first 40 years of the space age. The Space Department has demonstrated particular competence in addressing the country’s need for small exploratory missions that extend the envelope of technology. (Keywords: Quality assurance, Reliability, Spacecraft, Spaceflight.) INTRODUCTION The APL Space Department attempts to be at the and development is fundamentally an innovative en- high end of the quality and reliability scale for un- deavor, and any plan to carry out such work necessarily manned space missions. A track record of nearly 60 has steps with unknown outcomes. On the other hand, spacecraft and well over 100 instruments bears this out conventional management wisdom says that some de- as a success. Essentially, all of APL’s space missions are gree of risk and unpredictability exists in any major one-of-a-kind, so the challenge is to get it right the first undertaking, and the only element that differs in re- time, every time, by developing the necessary technol- search and development is the larger degree of risks. -
Satellite Situation Report
NASA Office of Public Affairs Satellite Situation Report VOLUME 17 NUMBER 6 DECEMBER 31, 1977 (NASA-TM-793t5) SATELLITE SITUATION~ BEPORT, N8-17131 VOLUME 17, NO. 6 (NASA) 114 F HC A06/mF A01 CSCL 05B Unclas G3/15 05059 Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland NOTICE .THIS DOCUMENT HAS'BEEN REPRODUCED FROM THE BEST COPY FURNISHED US BY THE SPONSORING AGENCY. ALTHOUGH IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT CERTAIN PORTIONS' ARE ILLEGIBLE, IT IS BEING RELEASED IN THE INTEREST OF MAKING AVAILABLE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE. OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS GCDDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION VOLUME 17 NO. 6 DECEMBER 31, 1977 SATELLITE SITUATION REPORT THIS REPORT IS PUBLIShED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, GSFC. GODPH DRgP2 FE I T ERETAO5MUJS E SMITHSONIAN ASTRCPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY. SPACEFLIGHT TRACKING AND DATA NETWORK. NOTE: The Satellite Situation Report dated October 31, 1977, contained an entry in the "Objects Decayed Within the Reporting Period" that 1977 042P, object number 10349, decayed on September 21, 1977. That entry was in error. The object is still in orbit. SPACE OBJECTS BOX SCORE OBJECTS IN ORBIT DECAYED OBJECTS AUSTRALIA I I CANACA 8 0 ESA 4 0 ESRO 1 9 FRANCE 54 26 FRANCE/FRG 2 0 FRG 9 3 INCIA 1 0 INDONESIA 2 0 INTERNATIONAL TELECOM- MUNICATIONS SATELLITE ORGANIZATION (ITSO) 22 0 ITALY 1 4 JAPAN 27 0 NATC 4 0 NETHERLANDS 0 4 PRC 6 14 SPAIN 1 0 UK 11 4 US 2928 1523 USSR 1439 4456 TOTAL 4E21 6044 INTER- CBJECTS IN ORIT NATIONAL CATALOG PERIOD INCLI- APOGEE PERIGEE TQANSMITTTNG DESIGNATION NAME NUMBER SOURCE LAUNCH MINUTES NATION KM. -
Orion First Flight Test
National Aeronautics and Space Administration orion First Flight Test NASAfacts Orion, NASA’s new spacecraft Exploration Flight Test-1 built to send humans farther During Orion’s flight test, the spacecraft will launch atop a Delta IV Heavy, a rocket built than ever before, is launching and operated by United Launch Alliance. While into space for the first time in this launch vehicle will allow Orion to reach an altitude high enough to meet the objectives for December 2014. this test, a much larger, human-rated rocket An uncrewed test flight called Exploration will be needed for the vast distances of future Flight Test-1 will test Orion systems critical to exploration missions. To meet that need, NASA crew safety, such as heat shield performance, is developing the Space Launch System, which separation events, avionics and software will give Orion the capability to carry astronauts performance, attitude control and guidance, farther into the solar system than ever before. parachute deployment and recovery operations. During the uncrewed flight, Orion will orbit The data gathered during the flight will influence the Earth twice, reaching an altitude of design decisions and validate existing computer approximately 3,600 miles – about 15 times models and innovative new approaches to space farther into space than the International Space systems development, as well as reduce overall Station orbits. Sending Orion to such a high mission risks and costs. altitude will allow the spacecraft to return to Earth at speeds near 20,000 mph. Returning -
Getting Shipshape
AER October 2020 OSPACE DOES AEROSPACE HAVE A RACE PROBLEM? SECRETS FROM THE FALKLANDS AIR WAR POWERING UP ELECTRIC FLIGHT www.aerosociety.com October 2020 GETTING SHIPSHAPE Volume 47 Number 10 Volume UK F-35B FORCE GETS READY FOR FIRST OPERATIONAL CARRIER DEPLOYMENT Royal AeronauticaSociety OCTOBER 2020 AEROSPACE COVER FINAL.indd 1 18/09/2020 14:59 RAeS 2020 Virtual Conference Programme Join us from wherever you are in the world to experience high quality, informative content. Book early for our special introductory offer rates. STRUCTURES & MATERIALS UAS / ROTORCRAFT / AIR TRANSPORT GREENER BY DESIGN 7th Aircraft Structural Urban Air Mobility RAeS Climate Change Design Conference Conference 2020 Conference 2020 DATE NEW DATE DATE 8 October 22 - 23 October 3 - 4 November TIME TIME TIME 14:00 - 17:00 13:00 - 18:00 13:00 - 18:00 SCAN USING SCAN USING SCAN USING YOUR PHONE YOUR PHONE YOUR PHONE FOR MORE INFO FOR MORE INFO FOR MORE INFO Embark on your virtual learning journey with the RAeS Connect and interact with our speakers and ask questions live Engage and network with other professionals from across the world Meet our sponsors at our virtual exhibitor booths Access content post-event to continue your professional development For the full virtual conference programme and further details on what to expect visit aerosociety.com/VCP Volume 47 Number 10 October 2020 EDITORIAL Contents When global rules unravel Regulars 4 Radome 12 Transmission What price global standards, rules and regulations? Pre-pandemic there were The latest aviation and Your letters, emails, tweets aeronautical intelligence, and social media feedback. -
Space Launch System (Sls) Motors
Propulsion Products Catalog SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM (SLS) MOTORS For NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), Northrop Grumman manufactures the five-segment SLS heavy- lift boosters, the booster separation motors (BSM), and the Launch Abort System’s (LAS) launch abort motor and attitude control motor. The SLS five-segment booster is the largest solid rocket motor ever built for flight. The SLS booster shares some design heritage with flight-proven four-segment space shuttle reusable solid rocket motors (RSRM), but generates 20 percent greater average thrust and 24 percent greater total impulse. While space shuttle RSRM production has ended, sustained booster production for SLS helps provide cost savings and access to reliable material sources. Designed to push the spent RSRMs safely away from the space shuttle, Northrop Grumman BSMs were rigorously qualified for human space flight and successfully used on the last fifteen space shuttle missions. These same motors are a critical part of NASA’s SLS. Four BSMs are installed in the forward frustum of each five-segment booster and four are installed in the aft skirt, for a total of 16 BSMs per launch. The launch abort motor is an integral part of NASA’s LAS. The LAS is designed to safely pull the Orion crew module away from the SLS launch vehicle in the event of an emergency on the launch pad or during ascent. Northrop Grumman is on contract to Lockheed Martin to build the abort motor and attitude control motor—Lockheed is the prime contractor for building the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle designed for use on NASA’s SLS. -
The SKYLON Spaceplane
The SKYLON Spaceplane Borg K.⇤ and Matula E.⇤ University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA This report outlines the major technical aspects of the SKYLON spaceplane as a final project for the ASEN 5053 class. The SKYLON spaceplane is designed as a single stage to orbit vehicle capable of lifting 15 mT to LEO from a 5.5 km runway and returning to land at the same location. It is powered by a unique engine design that combines an air- breathing and rocket mode into a single engine. This is achieved through the use of a novel lightweight heat exchanger that has been demonstrated on a reduced scale. The program has received funding from the UK government and ESA to build a full scale prototype of the engine as it’s next step. The project is technically feasible but will need to overcome some manufacturing issues and high start-up costs. This report is not intended for publication or commercial use. Nomenclature SSTO Single Stage To Orbit REL Reaction Engines Ltd UK United Kingdom LEO Low Earth Orbit SABRE Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine SOMA SKYLON Orbital Maneuvering Assembly HOTOL Horizontal Take-O↵and Landing NASP National Aerospace Program GT OW Gross Take-O↵Weight MECO Main Engine Cut-O↵ LACE Liquid Air Cooled Engine RCS Reaction Control System MLI Multi-Layer Insulation mT Tonne I. Introduction The SKYLON spaceplane is a single stage to orbit concept vehicle being developed by Reaction Engines Ltd in the United Kingdom. It is designed to take o↵and land on a runway delivering 15 mT of payload into LEO, in the current D-1 configuration. -
L AUNCH SYSTEMS Databk7 Collected.Book Page 18 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM Databk7 Collected.Book Page 19 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM
databk7_collected.book Page 17 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM CHAPTER TWO L AUNCH SYSTEMS databk7_collected.book Page 18 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM databk7_collected.book Page 19 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM CHAPTER TWO L AUNCH SYSTEMS Introduction Launch systems provide access to space, necessary for the majority of NASA’s activities. During the decade from 1989–1998, NASA used two types of launch systems, one consisting of several families of expendable launch vehicles (ELV) and the second consisting of the world’s only partially reusable launch system—the Space Shuttle. A significant challenge NASA faced during the decade was the development of technologies needed to design and implement a new reusable launch system that would prove less expensive than the Shuttle. Although some attempts seemed promising, none succeeded. This chapter addresses most subjects relating to access to space and space transportation. It discusses and describes ELVs, the Space Shuttle in its launch vehicle function, and NASA’s attempts to develop new launch systems. Tables relating to each launch vehicle’s characteristics are included. The other functions of the Space Shuttle—as a scientific laboratory, staging area for repair missions, and a prime element of the Space Station program—are discussed in the next chapter, Human Spaceflight. This chapter also provides a brief review of launch systems in the past decade, an overview of policy relating to launch systems, a summary of the management of NASA’s launch systems programs, and tables of funding data. The Last Decade Reviewed (1979–1988) From 1979 through 1988, NASA used families of ELVs that had seen service during the previous decade. -
Orbital Debris: a Chronology
NASA/TP-1999-208856 January 1999 Orbital Debris: A Chronology David S. F. Portree Houston, Texas Joseph P. Loftus, Jr Lwldon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas David S. F. Portree is a freelance writer working in Houston_ Texas Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................ iv Preface ........................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... vii Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................ ix The Chronology ............................................................................................................. 1 1961 ......................................................................................................................... 4 1962 ......................................................................................................................... 5 963 ......................................................................................................................... 5 964 ......................................................................................................................... 6 965 ......................................................................................................................... 6 966 ........................................................................................................................ -
A Low-Cost Launch Assistance System for Orbital Launch Vehicles
Hindawi Publishing Corporation International Journal of Aerospace Engineering Volume 2012, Article ID 830536, 10 pages doi:10.1155/2012/830536 Review Article A Low-Cost Launch Assistance System for Orbital Launch Vehicles Oleg Nizhnik ERATO Maenaka Human-Sensing Fusion Project, 8111, Shosha 2167, Hyogo-ken, Himeji-shi, Japan Correspondence should be addressed to Oleg Nizhnik, [email protected] Received 17 February 2012; Revised 6 April 2012; Accepted 16 April 2012 Academic Editor: Kenneth M. Sobel Copyright © 2012 Oleg Nizhnik. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The author reviews the state of art of nonrocket launch assistance systems (LASs) for spaceflight focusing on air launch options. The author proposes an alternative technologically feasible LAS based on a combination of approaches: air launch, high-altitude balloon, and tethered LAS. Proposed LAS can be implemented with the existing off-the-shelf hardware delivering 7 kg to low-earth orbit for the 5200 USD per kg. Proposed design can deliver larger reduction in price and larger orbital payloads with the future advances in the aerostats, ropes, electrical motors, and terrestrial power networks. 1. Introduction point to the progress in the orbital delivery systems for these additional payload classes. Spaceflight is the mature engineering discipline—54 years old as of 2012. But seemingly paradoxically, it still relies solely 2. Overview of Previously Proposed LAS on the hardware and methodology developed in the very beginning of the spaceflight era. Modernly, still heavily-used A lot of proposals have been made to implement nonrocket Soyuz launch vehicle systems (LVSs) are the evolutionary LASandarelistedinTable 1. -
Front Cover: Airbus 2050 Future Concept Aircraft
AEROSPACE 2017 February 44 Number 2 Volume Society Royal Aeronautical www.aerosociety.com ACCELERATING INNOVATION WHY TODAY IS THE BEST TIME EVER TO BE AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER February 2017 PROPELLANTLESS SPACE DRIVES – FLIGHTS OF FANCY? BOOM PLOTS RETURN TO SUPERSONIC FLIGHT INDIA’S NAVAL AIR POWER Have you renewed your Membership Subscription for 2017? Your membership subscription was due on 1 January 2017. As per the Society’s Regulations all How to renew: membership benefits will be suspended where Online: a payment for an individual subscription has Log in to your account on the Society’s www.aerosociety.com not been received after three months of the due website to pay at . If you date. However, this excludes members paying do not have an account, you can register online their annual subscriptions by Direct Debits in and pay your subscription straight away. monthly installments. Additionally members Telephone: Call the Subscriptions Department who are entitled to vote in the Society’s AGM on +44 (0)20 7670 4315 / 4304 will lose their right to vote if their subscription has not been paid. Cheque: Cheques should be made payable to the Royal Aeronautical Society and sent to the Don’t lose out on your membership benefits, Subscriptions Department at No.4 Hamilton which include: Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK. • Your monthly subscription to AEROSPACE BACS Transfer: Pay by Bank Transfer (or by magazine BACS) into the Society’s bank account, quoting • Use of your RAeS post nominals as your name and membership number. Bank applicable details: • Over 400 global events yearly • Discounted rates for conferences Bank: HSBC plc • Online publications including Society News, Sort Code: 40-05-22 blogs and podcasts Account No: 01564641 • Involvement with your local branch BIC: MIDLGB2107K • Networking opportunities IBAN: GB52MIDL400522 01564641 • Support gaining Professional Registration • Opportunities & recognition with awards and medals • Professional development and support .. -
China's Strategic Modernization: Implications for the United States
CHINA’S STRATEGIC MODERNIZATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES Mark A. Stokes September 1999 ***** The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. This report is cleared for public release; distribution is unlimited. ***** Comments pertaining to this report are invited and should be forwarded to: Director, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 122 Forbes Ave., Carlisle, PA 17013-5244. Copies of this report may be obtained from the Publications and Production Office by calling commercial (717) 245-4133, FAX (717) 245-3820, or via the Internet at [email protected] ***** Selected 1993, 1994, and all later Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) monographs are available on the SSI Homepage for electronic dissemination. SSI’s Homepage address is: http://carlisle-www.army. mil/usassi/welcome.htm ***** The Strategic Studies Institute publishes a monthly e-mail newsletter to update the national security community on the research of our analysts, recent and forthcoming publications, and upcoming conferences sponsored by the Institute. Each newsletter also provides a strategic commentary by one of our research analysts. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, please let us know by e-mail at [email protected] or by calling (717) 245-3133. ISBN 1-58487-004-4 ii CONTENTS Foreword .......................................v 1. Introduction ...................................1 2. Foundations of Strategic Modernization ............5 3. China’s Quest for Information Dominance ......... 25 4. -
A Pictorial History of Rockets
he mighty space rockets of today are the result A Pictorial Tof more than 2,000 years of invention, experi- mentation, and discovery. First by observation and inspiration and then by methodical research, the History of foundations for modern rocketry were laid. Rockets Building upon the experience of two millennia, new rockets will expand human presence in space back to the Moon and Mars. These new rockets will be versatile. They will support Earth orbital missions, such as the International Space Station, and off- world missions millions of kilometers from home. Already, travel to the stars is possible. Robotic spacecraft are on their way into interstellar space as you read this. Someday, they will be followed by human explorers. Often lost in the shadows of time, early rocket pioneers “pushed the envelope” by creating rocket- propelled devices for land, sea, air, and space. When the scientific principles governing motion were discovered, rockets graduated from toys and novelties to serious devices for commerce, war, travel, and research. This work led to many of the most amazing discoveries of our time. The vignettes that follow provide a small sampling of stories from the history of rockets. They form a rocket time line that includes critical developments and interesting sidelines. In some cases, one story leads to another, and in others, the stories are inter- esting diversions from the path. They portray the inspirations that ultimately led to us taking our first steps into outer space. NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS), commercial launch systems, and the rockets that follow owe much of their success to the accomplishments presented here.