I A STATUS REPORT LOCKHEED LAUNCH VEHICLE I for the 7th ANNUAL AIM-UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY I CONFERENCE ON SMALL SATEWTES D.E. Davis, J.W. AngelP, A.J. MaeLaren2 I Lockheed Missiles & Spaee Co.,lne Abstract: This paper discusses a new collocated product development team family of small and medium space launch with the mandate to use our engineering, vehicles being developed by Lockheed manufacturing, and flight test I Missiles & Space Company, Inc. The experience, but - and an important but development program will culminate in - to be innovative in our approaches. a demonstration launch in November For example we elected to use, as much I 1994. The paper gives a brief as possible, existing hardware; to use background and gives the program status aluminum structure rather than as of the date of this paper. composites - although Lockheed builds Supporting graphics are included. much composite structure; and to I simplify the way we do business. Background: We have streamlined our Lockheed Missiles & Space Co, paperwork system. The product I Inc. has been studying small space development team has informal reviews launch vehicles since 1987. The - informal in the sense that their are no original approach then was to use dry-runs, and hand drawn graphics are I surplus or excess ballistic missile acceptable. The technical caliber of assets, primarily the 1st and 2nd stages the presentations is as professional as if from the Poseidon C-3 missile as the it were our traditional government basis, replacing the weapon system customer instead of just ourselves. I guidance and control with state of the art Rather than tell our prospective technology, and adding a 3rd stage with subcontractors how they should design a Star 48 solid rocket motor. Although their hardware, we have either accepted I the approach was notionally attractive their specification or we have discussed and the calculated reliability was over our requirements and allowed them to 90%, no users were found. suggest the solutions and write the Motorola's announcement of the specification. We have held an oral I Iridium™ program in 1990 competition where the proposal was the dramatically altered our approach. viewgraphs and a one page letter on Motorola's imperatives were very clear: price. This has not been without I lowest possible cost, on demand launCh, some internal trauma and there have and outstanding reliability. When we been replacements of personnel who worked through the alternatives, we could not cope with the new world order. I concluded that reliability had to be as On January 8, 1993 Lockheed close to 100% as possible. A 90% to Corporation approved a company funded 95% reliability was unacceptable; we development program and demon­ calculated that for program such as stration launch in November 1994. I Iridium™ we had to self-insure, because We have submitted the required range the costs of insurance at 15 to 18 documentation to both the Eastern Range percent per launch would be (Cape Canaveral) and the Western Range I unacceptable from a price strategy point (Vandenberg Air Force Base). The Air of view. Thus we quickly discarded the Force has approved our use of Space ballistic missile assets approach, and Launch Complex (SLC-6) at Vandenberg I reexamined approaches based on AFB. We are working with the Eastern Thiokol's Castor 120™ which was then Range and the Florida Space Port I in development. We formed a Authority at Cape Canaveral. We have I 1. P.E., Member ASME 2. Senior Member AIAA I 2 started discussions with the Office of at the launch site to final countdown and I Commercial Space Transportation launch is a short as two weeks. (OCST) of the Department of The first of these vehicles is Transportation (DoT) with respect to scheduled to fly from Vandenberg in I the relevant licenses required by the November 1994. General operations Commercial Space Launch Act (CSLA). will begin in 1995. We completed our Preliminary Design Review (PDR) process in July, Solid Rocket Motors: I and have started fabrication of the first The LL V1 first stage is Thiokol hardware designated for testing. We Corporation's Castor 120™ Solid Rocket are on a clear track to meet the Motor. It is a 120,000 Ibm class motor I November 1994 launch date mandated that employs a graphite epoxy composite by our CEO, Dan Tellep. case, Class 1.3 HTPB propellant, pyrogen igniter, and a vectorable nozzle Launch Vehicle Description: driven by a cold gas blow down thrust I This section describes the design vector control system. This motor is and system performance of this new used as both the first stage and the family of launch vehicles designated the second stage on the LLV2 and LLV3. As a I Lockheed Launch Vehicles. second stage motor, a larger expansion The smallest vehicle (LLV1) will ratio nozzle is used in order to improve place about 2200 pounds in to a low performance at higher altitudes. The I Earth orbit (LEO) of 100 nautical miles propellant grain can be tailored to at 28°. The next increment, (LLV2) change the burn characteristics and will place 4000 pounds into LEO, and thrust history. This provides the the LLV3 will place up to 8000 pounds ability to taper the thrust of the second I into LEO. Launch operations will be stage near burn out, which lowers the conducted from Vandenberg Air Force vehicle acceleration and provide~ a Base in California for Polar and Sun smoother ride for the payload. I Synchronous orbits and from Cape The upper stage of the LLV family Canaveral. A mobile launch system is the Orbus 21 D solid rocket motor checkout van will be provided which manufactured by the Chemical Systems will allow launch operations from any Division of United Technologies. Inc. I suitable range. The Orbus 21 is a proven motor which Launch Vehicle assembly and has been used in the Inertial Upper Stage checkout at the launch site is based on a on 17 flights. For use on the LLV it will I simple stack and shoot approach allowed use a carbon phenolic nozzle and an by the inherent simplicity of solid electromechanical actuator. rocket motors. Only the Attitude Control Castor IVATM solid rocket motors I System, which will be fueled prior to may be strapped on to the LL V family of assembly on the pad, uses liquid vehicles to increase payload to orbit propellant. The payload (spacecraft) capability. will be mated to the payload adapter and I release mechanism in a clean room. Attitude Control System After payload checkout, the Fairing will The Orbital Assist Module(OAM) be installed and the resulting is located above the Orbus 21 D. It I Encapsulated Assembly will be moved contains the LLV Flight Electronics, and placed on top of the waiting solid Batteries, Telemetry, Inertial rocket motors on the pad. Final Measurement Unit, and the Attitude preparation and check out on the pad Control System (ACS). The ACS is a I includes installation of batteries, liquid monopropellant hydrazine destruct arming devices and final propulsion system which has 10 rocket electrical checks. The time from engine assemblies for pitch, roll, yaw I completion of payload receipt inspection control and velocity addition to correct for any errors induced during solid I I I 3 I rocket motor boost flight. The ACS may of altitude and 0.020 inclination of the be configured with 2, 4 or 6 hydrazine desired orbit. tanks so that the propellant load may be I tailored to the specific mission. Fuel Payload Accommodations load with the modular tanks is 260, Of specific interest to the 520, and 780 pounds. The ACS is potential user of a new launch vehicle manufactured by the Rocket Research are the payload accommodations I Company which provides four 50 Ibf features. These accommodations consist axial thrusters for velocity addition and of the fairings, payload adapters and six 25 Ibf thrusters for pitch, yaw and release mechanisms, on pad air­ I roll control. The hydrazine tanks which conditioning, T -0 umbilical and support are spun aluminum with a graphite equipment interfaces and electrical composite overwrap, are pressurized interfaces provid i ng te Ie metry with gaseous nitrogen to 460 psig and monitoring capability before and during I contains a elastomeric bladder for flight. The LLV offers some unique positive expulsion of the fuel. The ACS features in this area. system may use up to 98% of the fuel on The LLV family has been designed I board at an average specific impulse of with the underlying theme of reducing 220 seconds. The total impulse system cost. This is especially reflected available is 57,200 Ibf sec. All in the selection of available fairings I components of the ACS have a proven range from a 92 inch diameter fairing flight history which minimizes intended primarily for the LLV1 to the development cost and program risk. 141 inch fairing for the larger vehicles. The fairings are of a two piece clam I Guidance, Navigation & Control shell design. Zip tube, a patented clean The heart of the LLV Guidance, system, cuts the base and two halves Navigation and Control (GN&C) system allowing springs to provide the I is the Litton LN-100L Inertial separation forces. The increased volume Navigation Unit (INU). This is a strap of these fairings, which are large for down system which employs a this class of launch vehicle, simplifies nondithered Litton Zero-lock™ Laser the satellite packaging requirements for I Gyro(ZLGTM) and A-4 accelerometer deployables such as solar arrays and technologies together with a antennas. There is, however, a sophisticated 24-state Kalman filter.