Delta Clipper a Path to the Future
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The Flight to Orbit
There are numerous ways to get there— Around the Corner Th As then–US Space Command chief from rocket The Gen. Howell M. Estes III said to launch to space defense writers just before his re- tirement in August, “This is going maneuver to come along a lot quicker than we vehicles—and the think it is. ... We tend to think this stuff is way out there in the future, Air Force is but it’s right around the corner.” keeping its Flight The Air Force and NASA have divided the task of providing the options open. US government with a means of reliable, low-cost transportation to Earth orbit. The Air Force, with the largest immediate need, is heading to up the effort to revamp the Expend- to able Launch Vehicles now used to loft military and other government satellites. Called the Evolved ELV, this program is focused on derivatives of existing rockets. Competitors have been invited to redesign or value- engineer their proven boosters with new materials and technologies to provide reliable launch services at a he Air Force would like to go Orbit far lower price than today’s bench- back and forth to Earth orbit as bit mark of around $10,000 a pound to T O easily as it goes back and forth to Low Earth Orbit. The reasoning is 30,000 feet—routinely, reliably, and that an “evolved”—rather than an relatively cheaply. Such a capability all-new—vehicle will yield cost sav- goes hand in hand with being a true ings while reducing technical risk. -
Final EA for the Launch and Reentry of Spaceshiptwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port
Final Environmental Assessment for the Launch and Reentry of SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port May 2012 HQ-121575 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Finding of No Significant Impact AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) SUMMARY: The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 United States Code 4321 et seq.), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500 to 1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of issuing experimental permits and/or launch licenses to operate SpaceShipTwo reusable suborbital rockets and WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California. After reviewing and analyzing currently available data and information on existing conditions and the potential impacts of the Proposed Action, the FAA has determined that issuing experimental permits and/or launch licenses to operate SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo at the Mojave Air and Space Port would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment. Therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required, and the FAA is issuing this FONSI. The FAA made this determination in accordance with all applicable environmental laws. The Final EA is incorporated by reference in this FONSI. FOR A COPY OF THE EA AND FONSI: Visit the following internet address: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/review/permits/ or contact Daniel Czelusniak, Environmental Program Lead, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave., SW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591; email [email protected]; or phone (202) 267-5924. -
Future Space Launch Vehicles
Future Space Launch Vehicles S. Krishnan Professor of Aerospace Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennnai - 600 036, India (Written in 2001) Introduction Space technology plays a very substantial role in the economical growth and the national security needs of any country. Communications, remote sensing, weather forecasting, navigation, tracking and data relay, surveillance, reconnaissance, and early warning and missile defence are its dependent user-technologies. Undoubtedly, space technology has become the backbone of global information highway. In this technology, the two most important sub-technologies correspond to spacecraft and space launch vehicles. Spacecraft The term spacecraft is a general one. While the spacecraft that undertakes a deep space mission bears this general terminology, the one that orbits around a planet is also a spacecraft but called specifically a satellite more strictly an artificial satellite, moons around their planets being natural satellites. Cassini is an example for a spacecraft. This was developed under a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency. Cassini spacecraft, launched in 1997, is continuing its journey to Saturn (about 1274 million km away from Earth), where it is scheduled to begin in July 2004, a four- year exploration of Saturn, its rings, atmosphere, and moons (18 in number). Cassini executed two gravity-assist flybys (or swingbys) of Venus one in April 1998 and one in June 1999 then a flyby of Earth in August 1999, and a flyby of Jupiter (about 629 million km away) in December 2000, see Fig. 1. We may note here with interest that ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is thinking of a flyby mission of a spacecraft around Moon (about 0.38 million km away) by using its launch vehicle PSLV. -
THE HELIUM NEAR SPACE LABORATORY Human Near Space Access, Now, More Affordable, Reliable and Safe
66th International Astronautical Congress, Jerusalem, Israel. Copyright ©2015 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved. IAC-15-B3.2.8.30387 THE HELIUM NEAR SPACE LABORATORY Human Near Space Access, Now, More Affordable, Reliable and Safe. Annelie Schoenmaker, David Ferrer Desclaux, José Mariano López-Urdiales, Gerard Illana Meler zero2infinity SL Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain +34 935 824 422 [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract The HELIUM (High European Laboratory for Institutes, Universities and Markets) project offers European and international companies, researchers and scientists a platform to access Near Space. Space technologies are on a continuous growth path and many new developments (related to flag-ship Space programmes like Galileo or Copernicus, and a long tail of other Space initiatives) need to be tested, demonstrated and validated before being accepted by the industry. Currently, these newly developed technologies are tested on the ground, using climatic chambers that simulate one, or a few, Space conditions. However, it remains difficult to simulate the integrated effect of all Space conditions. It’s even more difficult to have a human in the loop, which can help understand the interactions between the environment and the experiment. zero2infinity is developing a balloon-borne laboratory that provides cost effective access to Near Space. It’s an environmentally friendly solution that. In Europe there is an increasing demand of flight opportunities to test, validate, demonstrate and calibrate technologies, equipment and new concepts that need to increase their TRL. This is essential to retain the competitiveness of the European Space sector. -
Minotaur I User's Guide
This page left intentionally blank. Minotaur I User’s Guide Revision Summary TM-14025, Rev. D REVISION SUMMARY VERSION DOCUMENT DATE CHANGE PAGE 1.0 TM-14025 Mar 2002 Initial Release All 2.0 TM-14025A Oct 2004 Changes throughout. Major updates include All · Performance plots · Environments · Payload accommodations · Added 61 inch fairing option 3.0 TM-14025B Mar 2014 Extensively Revised All 3.1 TM-14025C Sep 2015 Updated to current Orbital ATK naming. All 3.2 TM-14025D Sep 2018 Branding update to Northrop Grumman. All 3.3 TM-14025D Sep 2020 Branding update. All Updated contact information. Release 3.3 September 2020 i Minotaur I User’s Guide Revision Summary TM-14025, Rev. D This page left intentionally blank. Release 3.3 September 2020 ii Minotaur I User’s Guide Preface TM-14025, Rev. D PREFACE This Minotaur I User's Guide is intended to familiarize potential space launch vehicle users with the Mino- taur I launch system, its capabilities and its associated services. All data provided herein is for reference purposes only and should not be used for mission specific analyses. Detailed analyses will be performed based on the requirements and characteristics of each specific mission. The launch services described herein are available for US Government sponsored missions via the United States Air Force (USAF) Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Advanced Systems and Development Directorate (SMC/AD), Rocket Systems Launch Program (SMC/ADSL). For technical information and additional copies of this User’s Guide, contact: Northrop Grumman -
Columbia Accident Investigation Board
COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD Report Volume I August 2003 COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD On the Front Cover This was the crew patch for STS-107. The central element of the patch was the microgravity symbol, µg, flowing into the rays of the Astronaut symbol. The orbital inclination was portrayed by the 39-degree angle of the Earthʼs horizon to the Astronaut symbol. The sunrise was representative of the numerous science experiments that were the dawn of a new era for continued microgravity research on the International Space Station and beyond. The breadth of science conduct- ed on this mission had widespread benefits to life on Earth and the continued exploration of space, illustrated by the Earth and stars. The constellation Columba (the dove) was chosen to symbolize peace on Earth and the Space Shuttle Columbia. In addition, the seven stars represent the STS-107 crew members, as well as honoring the original Mercury 7 astronauts who paved the way to make research in space possible. The Israeli flag represented the first person from that country to fly on the Space Shuttle. On the Back Cover This emblem memorializes the three U.S. human space flight accidents – Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia. The words across the top translate to: “To The Stars, Despite Adversity – Always Explore“ Limited First Printing, August 2003, by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Subsequent Printing and Distribution by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 2 Report Volume I August 2003 COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD IN MEMORIAM Rick D. Husband Commander William C. -
Space Planes and Space Tourism: the Industry and the Regulation of Its Safety
Space Planes and Space Tourism: The Industry and the Regulation of its Safety A Research Study Prepared by Dr. Joseph N. Pelton Director, Space & Advanced Communications Research Institute George Washington University George Washington University SACRI Research Study 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary…………………………………………………… p 4-14 1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………….. p 16-26 2.0 Methodology…………………………………………………………………….. p 26-28 3.0 Background and History……………………………………………………….. p 28-34 4.0 US Regulations and Government Programs………………………………….. p 34-35 4.1 NASA’s Legislative Mandate and the New Space Vision………….……. p 35-36 4.2 NASA Safety Practices in Comparison to the FAA……….…………….. p 36-37 4.3 New US Legislation to Regulate and Control Private Space Ventures… p 37 4.3.1 Status of Legislation and Pending FAA Draft Regulations……….. p 37-38 4.3.2 The New Role of Prizes in Space Development…………………….. p 38-40 4.3.3 Implications of Private Space Ventures…………………………….. p 41-42 4.4 International Efforts to Regulate Private Space Systems………………… p 42 4.4.1 International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety… p 42-43 4.4.2 The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)…………….. p 43-44 4.4.3 The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).. p 44 4.4.4 The European Aviation Safety Agency…………………………….. p 44-45 4.4.5 Review of International Treaties Involving Space………………… p 45 4.4.6 The ICAO -The Best Way Forward for International Regulation.. p 45-47 5.0 Key Efforts to Estimate the Size of a Private Space Tourism Business……… p 47 5.1. -
MIT Japan Program Working Paper 01.10 the GLOBAL COMMERCIAL
MIT Japan Program Working Paper 01.10 THE GLOBAL COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH INDUSTRY: JAPAN IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE Saadia M. Pekkanen Assistant Professor Department of Political Science Middlebury College Middlebury, VT 05753 [email protected] I am grateful to Marco Caceres, Senior Analyst and Director of Space Studies, Teal Group Corporation; Mark Coleman, Chemical Propulsion Information Agency (CPIA), Johns Hopkins University; and Takashi Ishii, General Manager, Space Division, The Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC), Tokyo, for providing basic information concerning launch vehicles. I also thank Richard Samuels and Robert Pekkanen for their encouragement and comments. Finally, I thank Kartik Raj for his excellent research assistance. Financial suppport for the Japan portion of this project was provided graciously through a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Harvard Academy of International and Area Studies. MIT Japan Program Working Paper Series 01.10 Center for International Studies Massachusetts Institute of Technology Room E38-7th Floor Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone: 617-252-1483 Fax: 617-258-7432 Date of Publication: July 16, 2001 © MIT Japan Program Introduction Japan has been seriously attempting to break into the commercial space launch vehicles industry since at least the mid 1970s. Yet very little is known about this story, and about the politics and perceptions that are continuing to drive Japanese efforts despite many outright failures in the indigenization of the industry. This story, therefore, is important not just because of the widespread economic and technological merits of the space launch vehicles sector which are considerable. It is also important because it speaks directly to the ongoing debates about the Japanese developmental state and, contrary to the new wisdom in light of Japan's recession, the continuation of its high technology policy as a whole. -
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS of PERFORMANCE and DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS for ADVANCED EARTH-TO-ORBIT SHUTTLES by Edwurd A
NASA TECHNICAL NOTE -6767 . PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS FOR ADVANCED EARTH-TO-ORBIT SHUTTLES by Edwurd A. Willis, Jr., Wz'llium C. Struck, und John A. Pudratt Lewis Reseurch Center Clevelund, Ohio 44135 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON, D. C. APRIL 1972 f TECH LIBRARY KAFB, NM I111111 Hlll11111 Ill# 11111 11111 lllllIll1Ill -. -- 0133bOL 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. - NASA TN D-6767 4. Title and Subtitle PAR I 5. Report Date METRIC NALYSIS OF PERFORMA K! E ND April 1972 DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS FOR ADVANCED EARTH-TO- 6. Performing Organization Code ORBIT SHUTTLES 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Edward A. Willis, Jr. ; William C. Strack; and John A. Padrutt E-6749 10. Work Unit No. 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 110-06 Lewis Research Center 11. Contract or Grant No. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Cleveland, Ohio 44135 13. Type of Report and Period Covered 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Technical Note National Aeronautics and Space Administration 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Washington, D. C. 20546 ~~ .. ~~ 16. Abstract Performance, trajectory, and design characteristics are presented for (1) a single-stage shuttle with a single advanced rocket engine, (2) a single-stage shuttle with an initial parallel chemical-engine and advanced-engine burn followed by an advanced-engine sustainer burn (parallel-burn configuration), (3) a single-stage shuttle with an initial chemical-engine burn followed by an advanced-engine burn (tandem-burn configuration), and (4)a two-stage shuttle with a chemical-propulsion booster stage and an advanced-propulsion upper stage. -
Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports
Order Code IB93062 CRS Issue Brief for Congress Received through the CRS Web Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports Updated March 22, 2002 Marcia S. Smith Resources, Science, and Industry Division Congressional Research Service The Library of Congress CONTENTS SUMMARY MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS U.S. Launch Vehicle Policy From “Shuttle-Only” to “Mixed Fleet” Clinton Administration Policy U.S. Launch Vehicle Programs and Issues NASA’s Space Shuttle Program Future Launch Vehicle Development Programs DOD’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Program Government-Led Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Programs Private Sector RLV Development Efforts U.S. Commercial Launch Services Industry Congressional Interest Foreign Competition (Including Satellite Export Issues) Europe China Russia Ukraine India Japan LEGISLATION IB93062 03-22-02 Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports SUMMARY Launching satellites into orbit, once the Since 1999, projections for launch services exclusive domain of the U.S. and Soviet gov- demand have decreased dramatically, however. ernments, today is an industry in which compa- At the same time, NASA’s main RLV nies in the United States, Europe, China, Rus- program, X-33, suffered delays. NASA termi- sia, Ukraine, Japan, and India compete. In the nated the program in March 2001. Companies United States, the National Aeronautics and developing new launch vehicles are reassessing Space Administration (NASA) continues to be their plans, and NASA has initiated a new responsible for launches of its space shuttle, and “Space Launch Initiative” (SLI) to broaden the the Air Force has responsibility for launches choices from which it can choose a new RLV associated with U.S. -
A Irb Reathing Hypersonic Vi Sion
1999-01-5515 Ai r b r eathing Hypersonic Vis i o n - O p e r a t i o n a l - V ehicles Design Matrix James L. Hunt Robert J. Pegg Dennis H. Petley NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA ABSTRACT ASCA) is presented in figure 1 along with the airbreath- ing corridor in which these vehicles operate. It includes This paper presents the status of the airbreathing hyper- endothermically-fueled theater defense and transport sonic airplane and space-access vision-operational-vehi- aircraft below Mach 8; above Mach 8, the focus is on cle design matrix, with emphasis on horizontal takeoff dual-fuel and/or hydrogen-fueled airplanes for long and landing systems being studied at Langley; it reflects range cruise, first or second stage launch platforms the synergies and issues, and indicates the thrust of the and/or single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicles. effort to resolve the design matrix including Mach 5 to The space-access portion of the matrix has been 10 airplanes with global-reach potential, pop-up and expanded and now includes pop-up and launch from dual-role transatmospheric vehicles and airbreathing hypersonic cruise platforms as well as vertical-takeoff, launch systems. The convergence of several critical horizontal-landing (VTHL) launch vehicles. Also, systems/technologies across the vehicle matrix is indi- activities at the NASA centers are becoming integrated; cated. This is particularly true for the low speed propul- LaRC, GRC and MSFC are now participating in an sion system for large unassisted horizontal takeoff vehi- advanced launch vehicle study of airbreathing systems cles which favor turbines and/or perhaps pulse detona- for single-stage-to-orbit. -
1 Design of an Integral Thermal Protection System
DESIGN OF AN INTEGRAL THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR FUTURE SPACE VEHICLES By SATISH KUMAR BAPANAPALLI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2007 1 © 2007 Satish Kumar Bapanapalli 2 To my loving wife Debamitra, my parents Nagasurya and Adinarayana Bapanapalli, brother Gopi Krishna and sister Lavanya 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor and mentor Dr. Bhavani Sankar for his constant support (financial and otherwise) and motivation throughout my PhD studies. He allowed me to work with freedom, was always supportive of my ideas and provided constant motivation for my research work, which helped me grow into a mature and confident researcher under his tutelage. I also thank my committee co-chair Dr. Rafi Haftka for his invaluable inputs and guidance, which have been instrumental for my research work. I am also grateful to him for getting my interest into the field of Structural Optimization, which I hope would be a huge part of all my future research endeavors. I am also thankful to Dr. Max Blosser (NASA Langley) for his crucial inputs in my research work, which kept us on track with the expectations of NASA. I sincerely thank my dissertation committee members Dr. Ashok Kumar and Dr. Gary Consolazio for evaluating my research work and my candidature for the PhD degree. I also would like to acknowledge Dr. Peter Ifju and Dr. Nam-Ho Kim for their useful inputs and comments.