SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit 17 May 2015 Die approbierte Originalversion dieser Diplom-/ Masterarbeit ist in der Hauptbibliothek der Tech- nischen Universität Wien aufgestellt und zugänglich. http://www.ub.tuwien.ac.at The approved original version of this diploma or master thesis is available at the main library of the Vienna University of Technology. http://www.ub.tuwien.ac.at/eng FLYING AROUND THE WORLD IN 80min. ABOARD THE DLR SPACELINER Design of a passenger Unit for commercial suborbital point to point spacefights aboard the SpaceLiner SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit 1 | Concept of the SpaceLiner passenger Unit | AK 2 SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit EIDESSTATTLICHE ERKLÄRUNG Diese Diplomarbeit ist Teil meines Studiums der Architektur an der Technischen Universität Wien und stellt den ordentlichen Abschluss dieses Studiums dar. Ich erkläre hiermit an Eides statt, dass ich die vorliegende Arbeit selbstständig und ohne Benutzung Anderer als der angegebenen Hilfsmittel angefertigt habe. Die aus fremden Quellen direkt oder indirekt übernommenen Gedanken sind als solche kenntlich gemacht. Die Arbeit wurde bisher in gleicher oder ähnlicher Form keiner anderen Prüfungsbehörde vorgelegt und auch noch nicht veröfentlicht. Ausgeführt zum Zwecke der Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Diplom-Ingenieurs unter der Leitung von Univ. Ass. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger. Eingereicht an der Technischen Universität Wien - Fakultät für Architektur und Raumplanung, am Institut für Architektur und Entwerfen - Abteilung Hochbau 2 | Konstruktion und Entwerfen e253/5. Unter der Leitung von Univ.Ass. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Helmut Schramm O.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. William Alsop Verfasst von Amine Khouni, Matrikelnummer 0325545 Wien, am 18. Mai 2015 Stolzenthalergasse 20 /15 - 1080 Wien Amine Khouni 3 SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit 4 SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit AKNOWLEGMENTS My thanks go to Dr.-Ing. DI. Sandra Haeuplik-Meusburger for the lasting academic support. Your restless work as an architect for space exploration will continue to animate students to choose this fascinating path. During the research phase, you stood aside with helpful suggestions and throughout the years you brought exceptional professional opportunities to my reach. Thank you Sandra! Thank you beloved Kathi for the admiration and faith you put in my dreams every morning, for this unconditional love we share. You are the closest to my heart. Thank you parents for the gift of being. To my sister and brothers, Aladin for your positivity and many shared laughs, Aziz for your encouragements and Mohammed for your determination and focus. You are all equally inspiring and enriching to me. Thanks to my dear friends for the successful distraction during my studies and my university colleagues for the intellectual stimulation and interest in my thesis topic. Thank you to all unmentioned but always remembered for your support in times of struggle, and for this joyful life you contribute to. Vienna, January 18th 2015 Amine Khouni 5 SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit PREFACE Ever since I was a little boy I have been fascinated by the limitless and still unexplored space surrounding the planet Earth. I imagined traveling in spaceships to explore distant galaxies. But becoming an astronaut was out of reach, A congenital sight deficiency would not allow me to become an astronaut. Instead I learned to wear the architect’s glasses and study in depth everything related to human activities. From confined spaces as in cells, rooms, buildings and cities to outposts as on the poles, lunar bases and outer-space. Space tourism is en vogue and Space agencies will soon rely on private companies to shuttle astronauts to orbital space stations, to the moon and soon to Mars. Hypersonic thrust technologies have come within reach to facilitate the development of suborbital fights. Connecting high transit points of the fve continents in less than 90 min fight-time is the goal set by DLR for which the SpaceLiner is conceived. This is exciting since it will transform the way we travel and work in networks in the future. As an architect I’m interested in what has to be considered when designing the interior habitat. How can a passenger seat fulfill the safety and technical requirements and satisfy with its comfort, entertainment and take individual needs into account? Will the layout of a commercial DLR SpaceLiner look like an aircraft interior? Or will it have to submit radical changes as much as to the traveling experience itself. For which passenger is it within reach? How will it transform and shape our future social interactions during travel time? After designing a living and research base for the extreme conditions of the lunar surface, I find it exciting to tackle the interior of this transportation mean of the future. To study the process from check in to check out, from exit to reentry. Welcome aboard! 6 SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit ABSTRACT Space tourism is en vogue again. Hypersonic fights have come within reach to facilitate the development of commercial point to point suborbital fights. Connecting high density poles on the continents in less than 90 min fight-time is the goal set for the SpaceLiner which is under investigation since 2005 by DLR the German Aerospace Agency. No stewards, no windows, hypersonic speed, up to 10G loads at launch and microgravity at the edge of space. These are the conditions in which the task is to setup the interior layout, design the passenger seating Unit and analyze the process from check in to check out to fulfll the extreme infight requirements, passenger safety and comfort and transcend air travel as known today. A long and tedious astronaut’s training is not required to take a seat on board and take off. The goal is to present the evolution of commercial hypersonic suborbital point to point spacefights, spaceplanes under development and to design an ergonomic passenger Unit as a futuristic yet feasible adaptation of airborne seatings. After studying the benchmark in the commercial suborbital tourism industry, analyzing the safety requirements and focusing on the passenger as fortunate early adopter, designs suggestions for confned spaces with high density of technology, and use of new composite materials can be expected for designing and manufacturing of the Unit which will welcome, secure and entertain the passenger during fights on the SpaceLiner. 7 SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit I. CONTEXT 1. INTRODUCTION A. COSMIC RENAISSANCE - WHY IS SPACE POPULAR AGAIN? ......................................................................13 B. THE MILESTONES OF MANNED AVIATION & HISTORIY OF SPACE TOURISM .........................................14 2. DEFINITIONS A. TERMS, UNITS AND ABBREVIATION ..................................................................................................................19 3. SPACEFLIGHT TYPOLOGY A. POINT TO POINT SPACEFLIGHTS - ROUTES AROUND THE GLOBE ..........................................................26 B. CURRENT SPACEPORTS DEDICATED TO COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHTS ...............................................30 C. AIRSPACE & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FOR SPACEPLANES ........................................................................38 D. INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRY REGULATION .............................................................41 4. SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANES A. HISTORICAL AND CURRENT CONCEPTS OF SPACE-PLANES ....................................................................45 B. LESSONS LEARNED ..............................................................................................................................................47 C. ACTIVE SPACEPLANES FOR HUMAN TRANSPORTATION ...........................................................................48 5. THE PROMISING ENTERPRISE A. GENERAL REMARKS .............................................................................................................................................51 B. THE DLR SPACELINER .........................................................................................................................................52 C. MARKET ANALYSIS OF SUBORBITAL SPACEFLIGHTS ..................................................................................54 D. OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES ............................................................................................................................57 E. TECHNICAL CHALLENGES ..................................................................................................................................58 F. INFLIGHT PASSENGER COMFORT .....................................................................................................................61 G. FLIGHT CONVENIENCES .....................................................................................................................................63 H. IN FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT ..............................................................................................................................64 8 SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit II. DESIGN PARAMETRES 1. PASSENGER TYPOLOGY A. LIMITING CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................................................71 B. THE TOURIST VS. THE BUSINESS PASSENGER .............................................................................................73