SICSA SPACE ARCHITECTURE SEMINAR LECTURE SERIES PART III : SPACE TRANSPORTATION, PROPULSION AND PATHWAY OPTIONS www.sicsa.uh.edu LARRY BELL, SASAKAWA INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR SPACE ARCHITECTURE (SICSA) GERALD D.HINES COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, HOUSTON, TX The Sasakawa International Center for SICSA routinely presents its publications, Space Architecture (SICSA), an research and design results and other organization attached to the University of information materials on its website Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of (www.sicsa.uh.edu). This is done as a free Architecture, offers advanced courses service to other interested institutions and that address a broad range of space individuals throughout the world who share our systems research and design topics. In interests. 2003 SICSA and the college initiated Earth’s first MS-Space Architecture This report is offered in a PowerPoint format with degree program, an interdisciplinary 30 the dedicated intent to be useful for academic, credit hour curriculum that is open to corporate and professional organizations who participants from many fields. Some wish to present it in group forums. The document students attend part-time while holding is the third in a series of seminar lectures that professional employment positions at SICSA has prepared as information material for NASA, affiliated aerospace corporations its own academic applications. We hope that and other companies, while others these materials will also be valuable for others complete their coursework more rapidly who share our goals to advance space on a full-time basis. exploration and development. SPACE TRANSPORTATION, PREFACE PROPULSION AND PATHWAYS The SICSA Space Architecture Seminar Lecture Series is divided into two general Lecture Groups : GROUP ONE: GROUP TWO: Part I : Space Structures and Part V : The History of Support Systems Space Architecture Part II : Human Adaptation and Part VI : The Nature of Space Safety in Space Environments Part III : Space Transportation, Part VII : Environmental Planning Propulsion and Pathways and Systems Part IV : Space Mission and Part VIII : Shelter Design and Facility Architectures Construction The SICSA Seminar Lecture Series SICSA SEMINAR SERIES LECTURE GROUPS This lecture series provides comprehensive SPACE TRANSPORTATION, information, considerations and examples to support PROPULSION & PATHWAYS planning of human space missions and facilities: Part III (this report), discusses capacities and CAPACITIES & efficiencies of different transportation vehicles, EFFICIENCIES FACILITY ARCHITECTURES propulsion and pathway options that enable and constrain planning decisions associated with the & SPACE MISSION other three parts: PART III PAYLOADS & SCHEDULES - Launch, transfer and landing vehicle selection and PART IV design must be correlated with structure. -Vehicle capacities, propulsion systems and PART II destination pathways will directly influence crew PART I PART TRAVEL TIME & TIME TRAVEL accommodation/ consumable payloads, and CONSUMABLES & SAFETY IN SPACE IN & SAFETY radiation exposure risks (travel times/ schedules) HUMAN ADAPTATION associated with Human Adaptation and Safety in MASS & Space (Part II). VOLUME STRUCTURE - Transportation, propulsion and pathway selection is a fundamental priority in Planning in Space Mission and Facility Architectures (Part IV). SYSTEMS SUPPORT & SPACESTRUCTURES Key Relationships to Other Lectures SICSA SEMINAR SERIES PART III EMPHASES We are very grateful to Dr. James F. “Jim” Peters who has generously made a large body of material he has developed and collected available to us. This report draws extensively from his work. Much additional material can be obtained from his book, “Spacecraft Systems Design and Operations”, which can be obtained from the Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 4050 Westmark Drive, Dubuque, Iowa 52202. This excellent publication is used as a primary text for the SICSA MS-Space Architecture curriculum, and is highly recommended as a valuable reference document for students and professionals at all career stages. Key Reference Book SPACE TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL CREDITS PROPULSION AND PATHWAYS “Human Space Flight: Mission Analysis and Design” is a comprehensive and substantial book that should be in the library of any organization and individual involved in space project management, research, design or operations. The document was edited by Wiley J. Larson of the US Air Force Academy and Linda K. Pranke of LK Editorial Services as part of a Space Technology Series through a cooperative activity of NASA and the US Department of Justice. Text materials were contributed by 67 professional engineers, managers and educators from industry, government and academia. It is available through the Higher Education Division of McGraw- Hill. Important Resource Book SPACE TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL CREDITS PROPULSION AND PATHWAYS It would be difficult or impossible to find anyone more knowledgeable about the subject of his book, “Space Stations and Platforms”, than Gordon Woodcock from Boeing. “Gordy” has enormously broad experience and expertise, and we are all fortunate he has made the effort to share it. As noted by Edward Gibson in the book’s forward, “Over the coming years, this work should become a classic space station reference. It has high value for those who desire to understand, appreciate or contribute to our first permanent settlement in New Earth”. It can be obtained through the publisher: Orbit Book Company, Inc., 2005 Township Road, Malabar, Florida 32950. Important Resource Book SPACE TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL CREDITS PROPULSION AND PATHWAYS The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space edited by Fernand Verger, Isabelle Sourbes-Verger and Raymond Ghirari has been a key reference source for Section I of this report, and is highly recommended as an important publication for information about transportation orbits vehicles, and a broad range of other topics. The scope is comprehensive, the writing is clear, and the graphics are exceptional. This book is more than an encyclopedia of facts and data. It also offers the reader insightful commentaries about circumpherences surrounding successful and failed developments around the world that have brought us to where we are in space and can guide us to where we must go in the future. Important Resource Book SPACE TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL CREDITS PROPULSION AND PATHWAYS Section A: Transportation Systems •LEO Maneuvering Vehicle •Types and Applications - TRW’s OMV Design............................................ A-28 -Vehicle Examples................................................. A-2 - Progress Orbital Vehicle..................................... A-29 •Launch Vehicles •Orbital Support Vehicles - Making Space Accessible................................... A-3 - Maneuvering & Transport Services................... A-31 - Conventional Launch Vehicles .......................... A-4 - Autonomous Transfer Vehicle............................ A-32 - Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV)..................................... A-10 - HTV-II Transfer Vehicle Concept....................... A-33 - Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles................ A-11 - SICSA’s LEO Transfer Vehicle Concept............ A-34 - Reusable Launch Vehicles.................................. A-13 •Exploration Vehicles - Proposed Shuttle Upgrades................................. A-14 - Human Voyages Beyond LEO........................... A-35 - Shuttle Derived Vehicles (SDVs)........................ A-15 - The Beginning of the Future............................... A-36 - Boeing SDV Concepts......................................... A-16 - Apollo Strategy Options Considered.................. A-37 - Martin Marietta SDV Concepts............................ A-18 - Apollo CSM as a Preference Vehicle................ A-38 - Shuttle-C SDV Background..................................A-21 - Apollo Command & Service Modules................ A-39 - Selected Shuttle-C Configuration.........................A-23 - Tragic Apollo Safety Lessons............................ A-40 - Shuttle-C Cargo Element Concepts..................... A-24 - Apollo Command & Service Module - Shuttle-C Concepts.............................................. A-25 & Launch Escape System................................... A-41 - Shuttle-Z Concepts.............................................. A-26 - Apollo Command & Service Module................... A-42 - SICSA Heavy-Lift ELV Concept........................... A-27 - Apollo Command Module Interior....................... A-43 SPACE TRANSPORTATION CONTEXTS PROPULSION AND PATHWAYS - Future Lunar/Mars Spacecraft............................. A-44 - Low-thrust Cargo Mission Example....................A-65 - SICSA Concept & Considerations....................... A-45 - Low-thrust Mars Crew Mission Example.............A-66 - ARES Propulsion System.................................... A-46 - Low-thrust Mars Vehicle Mass Estimates...........A-68 - Radiation Mitigation Strategies............................ A-47 - MLV Chemical Propulsion Stack.........................A-69 - VASIMR Power Requirements............................ A-48 - MLV Chemical Propulsion Module......................A-70 - The Crew Transfer Module.................................. A-49 - MLV Element Assembly in LEO..........................A-71 - VASIMR Transit Elements................................... A-50 - MLV Transfer Cargo Mission.............................. A-72 - Possible VASIMR Trajectories............................ A-51 - MLV Surface Element Examples........................A-73