Project Argo
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Project Argo C C. i AI_RO 483 4-" t', t Ae_pace Syst_ ,,.,__. The V'niversi,-....o,,_."_'_._ ._.ASA/TJ'SRA.. .... ,,,_ ,u,,,_,_,iL/C.ll..ibra_ April :1989 NP_v- /./,_I_" Project Argo The Design and Analysis of an All-Propulsive and an Aeroassisted Version of a Manned Space Transportation Vehicle AERO 483 Aerospace System Design The University of Michigan NASA/USRA April 1989 Cover design by Grenmarie Agresar Table of Contents Foreword Acknowledgements Acronyms 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Project Introduction ......................................................... 1-1 1.2 Team Organization .......................................................... 1-5 Class Photo ..................................................................... 1-10 2.0 Spacecraft Configuration and Integration 2.0 Summary ....................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Design Rationale ............................................................. 2-4 2.2 Chemical Space Transportation Vehicle ............................ 2-5 2.3 Aeroassisted Space Transportation Vehicle ........................ 2-13 2.4 Mass Breakdown ............................................................. 2-22 2.6 References ...................................................................... 2-23 3.0 Mission Analysis 3.0 Summary ....................................................................... 3-1 3.1 The Nominal Mission ...................................................... 3-2 3.2 Other Possible Missions with Nominal Mission Budget ....... 3-13 3.3 Selection of Transfer Methods ........................................... 3-16 3.4 Sources of Error .............................................................. 3-20 3.5 Sample Mission Flight Plan .............................................. 3-20 3.6 References ...................................................................... 3-24 4.0 Atmospheric Flight 4.0 Summary .......................................................................4-1 4.1 Trajectory Analysis .........................................................4-2 4.2 Aerobrakes .....................................................................4-8 4.3 Thermal Protection System ...............................................4-15 4.4 References ......................................................................4-21 5.0 Propulsion 5.0 Summary ....................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Main Propulsion System .................................................. 5-2 5.2 Fuel Tank Design ............................................................ 5-6 5.3 Attitude Control System ................................................... 5-10 5.4 Overall Propulsion System Configuration ........................... 5-13 5.5 Mission Specifications ...................................................... 5-18 5.6 References ...................................................................... 5-20 6.0 Power and Communications 6.0 Summary .......................................................................6-1 6.1 Power .............................................................................6-4 6.2 Communications .............................................................6-11 6.3 Data Management System ................................................6-15 6.4 Guidance and Navigation .................................................6-18 6.5 References ......................................................................6-21 7.0 Life Support and Human Factors 7.0 Summary .......................................................................7-1 7.1 Environmental Control and Life Support Systems ................7-2 7.2 Radiation Protection.........................................................7-12 7.3 G-Loading Requirements ..................................................7-17 7.4 Interior Design ................................................................7-18 7.5 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) ...........................................7-23 7.6 Power and Mass Distribution............................................7-25 7.7 References ......................................................................7-26 8.0 Logisticsand Support 8.0 Summary .......................................................................8-1 8.1 Impact on Space Station ...................................................8-2 8.2 Delivery of STV to the Space Station from Earth ...................8-11 8.3 Docking ofthe STV at the Space Station ..............................8-11 8.4 Storage ofFuel at the Space Station and Refueling ofSTV .....8-16 8.5 Maintenance and Checkout ..............................................8-24 8.6 SatelliteStorage and Maintenance at the Space Station ........8-26 8.7 References ......................................................................8-28 9.0 Systems Analysis 9.0 Summary .......................................................................9-1 9.1 Cost of All-Propulsive and Aeroassisted Designs .................9-2 9.2 Comparison of All-Propulsive and Aeroassisted Designs ......9_ 9.3 References ......................................................................9-16 Fca, eword Aerospace Engineering 483, "Aerospace System Design", is one of a number of design courses open to students in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. Each year a new topic is selected for the design study, which is carried out by the entire class as a team effort. There are no exams or quizzes in this course, but the total output of the effort consists of three parts: a) a formal oral presentation at the end of the semester; b) a scale model of the design, unveiled at this presentation; and c) the final report at hand. The course was initiatedby the late Professor Wilbur C. Nelson in 1965. The 1988-89 design isthe thirty-secondin the seriesthen begun. The current design topic is of a manned, space-based Space Transportation Vehicle capable of satisfying a variety of anticipated future mission requirements. Its nominal mission is traveling between the Space Station Freedom in Low Earth Orbit and Geosynchronous Orbit to perform tasks such as delivering and retrieving payloads or carrying out satellite refurbishing and repair. Project Argo represents a preliminary sizing and configuration design of such a vehicle. The design considers two alternate versions: in one, the mission to and from the Space Station is carried out using rocket thrust only, while in the second version, the return to the home base takes place via a pass through the atmosphere, where aerodynamic drag replaces one application of rocket thrust, eliminating the need for the corresponding amount of propellant. The Project Argo team consisted of 43 seniors. As is customary in this course, the students elected a Project Manager and Assistant Project Manager at the beginning of the semester and subsequently organized themselves in several technical groups, one for each of the major subsystems of the design; the work of each group is directed by a Group Leader. The Managers direct and control the team activityand integrate the many inputs from the groups into a single, coherent design. The concept of a system approach to design was carried throughout the design process. A Final Report Committee, with representatives from each Group, was assigned the major task of integrating the inputs from the Team into this document. An ad-hoc Committee was formed to create the scale models of the two vehicles. We gratefully acknowledge the support we enjoyed during the three- year tenure in the NASA/USRA University Advanced Design Program. Grants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Universities Space Research Association in Phase II of the Program have immensely contributed to the continued success of the course. The Grants provided funding for a graduate teaching assistant, for travel, for various administrative costs, for educational innovation, for construction of the scale models, and for reproduction and distribution of this report. Special recognition is due Mr. Steve Hartman and Ms. Elaine Schwartz from NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. and John R. Sevier, Director, Advanced Design Program, and Ms. Carol Hopf, Deputy Director, USRA, Houston, Texas. NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, gave support in the form of key lecturers and other technical assistance; Dr. Karl A. Faymon and Ms. Lisa L. Kohout provided guidance and maintained contact with the design team during the year. We are thankful to them for their support and encouragement. Professor Harm Buning April 17, 1989 Acknowledgements There were several people who provided the Project Argo design team with vital input to whom we would like to express our sincere gratitude. From the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, we thank Dr. Karl Faymon and Lisa Kohout for their continued support and guest lecture on power systems as well as Joe Hemminger and A1 Pavli for their guest lecture on propulsion systems. We would also like to thank our guest lecturer and Adjunct Professor at the University of Michigan Jack R. Lousma for sharing his experiences as a former astronaut. Thanks also to Don Saxton and Norman Brown of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and Dr. D. Stuart Nuchtwey of the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. List of Commonly Used Acronyms STV Space Transportation Vehicle ASTV Aeroassisted Space Transportation Vehicle CSTV Chemical Space Transportation Vehicle (all-propulsive) GEO Geosynchronous