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Shuttle 11 Progress Report 1987 (24th) Space - The Challenge, The The Space Congress® Proceedings Commitment Apr 1st, 8:00 AM Shuttle 11 Progress Report Theodore A. Talay Aerospace Engineer, Shuttle II Study NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia 23665-5225 Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings Scholarly Commons Citation Talay, Theodore A., "Shuttle 11 Progress Report" (1987). The Space Congress® Proceedings. 3. https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-1987-24th/session-7/3 This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Space Congress® Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SHUTTLE II PROGRESS REPORT Dr. Theodore A. Talay Aerospace Engineer, Shuttle II Study NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia 23665-5225 ABSTRACT for expanding man's activities into the space frontiers over the next several decades. This paper presents a status report on the Included in these forecasts are manned study of a next-generation manned launch geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) missions, system, or Shuttle II, being conducted at the lunar and Mars bases, and deployment of large NASA Langley Research Center. Underlying Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) systems. reasons for considering such a system, Attaining such goals will require that space including the need for low-cost, safe, and transportation costs drop to levels far below reliable manned access to space, are those of the present Space Shuttle system or discussed. System and operational expendable launch vehicles. Otherwise, characteristics for such a future vehicle are mission planners will be faced with scaling presented. Several rocket vehicle conceptual back activities to stay within anticipated designs are depicted that satisfy the stated budget constraints. requirements. The role of advancing technologies is shown to have a major impact Routine, low-cost access to space is a on the choice of a vehicle concept. For a compelling enough reason for considering a near-term technology level, a two-stage rocket next-generation space transportation system. vehicle has been selected for in-depth Shuttle But it is not the only one. Projected demands II studies. The need for fully-reusable for Space Shuttle launch services will impose launch systems with radically simpler ground maximum allowable flight rates on the system. and flight operations is stated to be critical Sometime in the post-2000 era, individual in reducing launch costs. Shuttle vehicles will face wearout and retirement. The dramatic technological progress which has occurred in many areas INTRODUCTION since the development and deployment of the Space Shuttle suggests that a new, more The Space Shuttle represents a major efficient space transportation system replace advancement in the space transportation the current system. International competition capabilities of the United States. Despite is also growing in the marketplace in response the Challenger accident, the Space Shuttle to rising launch demands, with many new has, over many missions, demonstrated itself transportation systems under study or ~c::t- be a highly versatile vehicle for both development by the Europeans, Japanese, planned and unplanned mission activities. Chinese, and Soviets. Pressures are building However, one original goal of the Space on the U.S. to face this market competition Shuttle system has remained elusive--that of with its own launch systems. low-cost space transportation. Because of budgetary pressures in the development phase, The Langley Research Center has for many years early fully-reusable Shuttle concepts evolved been actively involved in examining new space into the more labor-intensive partially transportation system concepts to fulfill a reusable system actually produced. As a variety of anticipated mission needs (ref. 4, result, recurring hardware and operations 5). Early in 1985, Langley was asked by NASA costs have proven far higher than expected. Headquarters to initiate preliminary conceptual studies of a next-generation launch Recent civilian and military space launch system called "Shuttle II". Early study requirements studies (ref. 1 ,2) and the report phases were aimed at defining desired system of the National Commission on Space (ref. 3) and operational characteristics of a Shuttle have presented exciting and ambitious options II system. A main objective of the Shuttle II 7-1 program is to demonstrate vehicle concepts line connecting the mixed-fleet approaches in that (a) substantially reduce the cost of Figure 1 . An example is a first-stage booster space transportation and (b) provide a used in conjunction with either a manned complement to a transportation architecture orbiter element or an unmanned heavy-lift that supports a wide range of scientific, stage. defense, and commercial uses. Progress reports on this study have appeared earlier in The present study has placed primary Shuttle references 6 and 7. II mission emphasis into the three major categories as shown in Figure 2. The MISSIONS AND TRANSPORTATION ARCHITECTURE personnel transport role assumes ever­ increasing emphasis a& the Space Station Planning for a next-generation space begins operations and~'undergoes growth. On­ transportation system requires detailed views orbi t servicing is another major role of anticipated future space activities. undertaken by Shuttle II. Not only will there Mission models for the period 1992-2010 are be a Space Station in orbit, there will also available (ref. 1 ,2) for such purposes. be many unmanned space platforms and Generally, anticipated missions tend to fall observatories which will require periodic within two categories. On one hand there is a maintenance and repair--a task well-suited for need to move large masses--bulk cargo, a manned launch vehicle. Space Shuttle crews propellants, large military and civilian have aptly demonstrated these tasks in earlier satellites--to orbit at the lowest possible missions. In many mixed-fleet approaches, the cost or "low dollars per pound". But for heavy-lift vehicle functions only to take priority or sortie types of missions involving payloads to orbit. But there is also a need personnel transport, servicing and repair to bring much of this payload mass back from visits, and movement to orbit and return of orbit. This is especially true of high-valued high-valued commercial products and supplies. products manufactured in orbit--for example, a low 11 dollars per flight" approach is a valid pharmaceuticals and crystals--as well as Space. consideration. Station logistics modules and materials. A manned Shuttle II also fulfills this role. As Figure 1 shows, the Space Shuttle was designed to perform all these space While the payload requirements of a Shuttle II transportation functions. The Challenger system have not been set, certain "driver" or accident placed new emphasis on assured access baseline missions are being used in this to space with complementary launch systems study. These include 20,000 pounds to a Space emerging such as the Air Force Titan 4 among Station operations orbit (262 nautical miles, other expendables. In the future, however, a 28.5 degrees inclination), and 12,000 pounds mixed-fleet approach will divide these to a low sun-synchronous orbit (150 nautical functions in a more cost-efficient manner. A miles, 98.0 degrees inclination) for servicing Shuttle II vehicle would fly the priority/ of unmanned polar platforms. The baseline sortie missions. Near-term technology dictates payload bay size is a 15-foot diameter an all-rocket system, but given time and cylindrical volume 30-feet in length. It technology funding, an air-breathing system, should be emphasized that these are only such as the National Aero-Space Plane, may representative study missions. The Shuttle II emerge as a Shuttle II option. The Langley study is examining vehicle design sensitivity Shuttle II study is limited to vertical to reference mission payloads ranging from takeoff rocket systems. The heavy-lift 2,500 to 65,000 pounds. functions may be fulfilled initially through the use of a Shuttle-Derived Vehicle (SDV) SYSTEM AND OPERATIONS REQUIREMENTS using many of the same components, facilities, and manpower of the present Space Shuttle Understanding the costs of the Space Shuttle system. Later, more cost-efficient partially­ system is a key consideration in evaluating reusable or fully-reusable launch vehicles may design options for a replacement system. be phased in to meet anticipated increased Figure 3 examines one aspect--the costs launch demands. associated with flying Shuttle missions. Total life-cycle costs (the sum of Presently, large costs are incurred in both development, production, and recurring costs) the manpower for ground, flight, and for these systems will, no doubt, greatly management o·perations and the replacement and influence the timing and appearance of the refurbishment of Shuttle hardware. Propellant particular mixed-fleet systems developed. To costs for each flight are a relatively small lower total life~cycle costs, the two vehicles percentage of the total. may share common launch sites, operational facilities, and manpower. And in the "common In the future, the need is to reduce launch element" approach to vehicle architecture, costs by a large f actor--some say an order-of­ major launch components may also be shared magni tude reduction.
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