1995 (32nd) People and Technology - The Case The Space Congress® Proceedings For Space Apr 25th, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Paper Session I-A - Space Shuttle to Reusable Launch Vehicle Jacob E. Huether Rockwell Aerospace, Space Systems Division James M. Spears Rockwell Aerospace, Space Systems Division Carey M. McCleskey National Aeronautics and Space Administration, John F. Kennedy Space Center Russel E. Rhodes National Aeronautics and Space Administration, John F. Kennedy Space Center Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings Scholarly Commons Citation Huether, Jacob E.; Spears, James M.; McCleskey, Carey M.; and Rhodes, Russel E., "Paper Session I-A - Space Shuttle to Reusable Launch Vehicle" (1995). The Space Congress® Proceedings. 6. https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-1995-32nd/april-25-1995/6 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]. Space Shuttle to Reusable Launch Vehlc"le Jacob E. Huether James M. Spears Carey M. McCleskey Russel E. Rhodes Rockwell Aerospace Rockwell Aerospace National Aeronautics and National Aeronautics and Space Systems Division Space Systems Division Space Administration Space Administration Cape Canaveral, Fl Downey, Ca John F. Kennedy Space John F. Kennedy Space Center Center ABSTRACT VISION The National Space Transportation Reliable and affordable access to space Policy "establishes national policy, is the stated goal of future space guidelines, and Implementing transportation vehicles. From an actions for the conduct of National operational perspective, we believe that space transportation programs that this goal can be achieved qnly when will sustain and revitalize U.S. space system operational functloris drive transportation capabilities .••". The vehicle design. Research should be direction to the National focused on those areas which minimize Aeronautics and Space the number of subsystems & fluids used, Administration (NASA) is to the total parts count, and the amount of "provide for the improvement of testing required to valic;late system the Space Shuttle system focusing integrity. · on rellablllty, safety, and cost effectiveness." as well as "be the 'In the development of the Reusable lead agency for technology Launch Vehicle (RLV) a joint development and demonstration Government/Industry Operations for next generation reusable space Synergy Team (OST) was commissioned transportation systems, such as to ensure that lessons learned from the single-stage-to-orbit concept." prevlOus space transportation programs were applied to RLV. The OST has With this vision, NASA has Initiated developed a vision concept which Is Cooperative Agreement Notices directly applicable to RLV and any next between NASA and the private generation space transportation vehicle. sector for X-33 (Reusable Launch This vision concept is based on the Vehicle-Advanced Technology findings of the Access To Space Demonstrator) and X-34 (Reusable Advanced Technology Team (Option 3)1 Launch Vehicle-Small Reusable and the vast experience base from Booster) which would provide previous programs. The Advanced Insight to a decision by December Technology Team findings are contained 1996 to proceed with sub-scale in four basic requirements: flight demonstration to prove the single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) Define the mission narrowly to concept. This paper deals with transportation only. operational Issues which must be Apply modem advanced technology dealt with In order to achieve SSTO to design a simple vehicle with less goals of reliable low cost space complex subsystems and fewer transportation and order of elements. magnitude reductions in operating Avoid flight-to-flight certification costs. through a prototype development and flight test program. Adopt a management philosophy that empowers individuals to make Canaveral Council of Technical SocieUes - Thirty·Second Space Congress 1-21 decisions at the lowest possible level Reduce operations and hardware replacing today's committee and complexity for maximum utilization of duplicative review process. resources and reduce opportunity for human-induced system failures: Less Building on this, the OST developed an Mhands-on", less human factor. RLV Operations Concept "Vlsion" which Employ near ~ ground comprised ten goals focused on management planning at top levels. operational improvements which are Focus on automatic Interactive geared towards mlnlmlzJng ground test schedullng of flight vehicle, ground time and resource dependence while support facilities, and support maximlzJng vehfde self-diagnosis, logistics. dependability and mirVnl.m servicing Adapt minimum standardized requirements2: payload Interfaces to assure maxirum flexibility and affordability. Provide a simplified, ~ The most affordable vehicle will be automated vehicle enabling blind to payload needs; like a truck, minimum periodic and repetitive not a hospital life support system. maintenance (aircraft-like) and Eimilate payload Impact on the resultant short turnaround time launch vehicle system infrastructure. between missions (hours, not Ensure joint participation Nil months). application of the synergism available Strive to isolate vehide ground between Operations, Avionics, processing from dependence on Propulsion, Payloads, and Vehicle facilities and GSE. Routine, Design to the preliminary scheduled turnaround should archltecturelvehicle concept, and replenish consumables only_ operations development process {i.e. Promote vehlcle health Integrated Product Tea'Tl - IPT). This monitoring/management systems entails Identification of and self-test at a level which supplies technologlH that can enable only operations and maintenance development of a vehicle system (O&M) anomaly related Information meeting attributes of the National that requires corrective action prior to Space Transportation Polley'. next flight. Let the vehicle •talk" to the The role of engineering (concept, ground remotely for processing and development. and technology) during maintenance needs. Incorporate the operatlonal era will be to special vehicle engineering perfonn continuous Improvement instrumentation only on specifically and technology advancement for assigned technology demonstration future market driven needs vehides (i.e. X-33). (retain X-33 capability). Elmnate "flight readiness-style• vehicle certification for every flight. The goal of driving the total Provide alrcraftMstyle vehlcle-type transportation system design rather than certificate for repetitive oommerdal reacting to the vehide design shoukt flight operations. result In the realization of overaH Design-In performance margins economic goals associated with future and flight hardware allowances to space transportation systems. We are eliminate proceHlng Impact, i.e., losing today's market as international strive to elimlnats unplanned work. competition continues to drtve reduced Mission design and flight operations cost of annual mass to orbit. Vehide sizing should be optimized around are ~ autonomous by design. No dedicated software identified POTENTIAL. pa)ioad user maintenance function is required to requirements and not focused on a support operations. single user's needs. In order to promote Canaveral Counclf or Technlcal Societies - Thirty-Second Space Congress 1·22 domestic launch opportunities (market SHUTTLE EVOLUTION growth) we must rethink our current mind set and approaches to vehicle During the Apollo Lunar Exploration certification which are currently Program it became apparent that the next measured in months rather than hours. step was a trip to Mars. ln order to go to Mars, man needed to gain a thorough During the course of the Commercial understanding of living in space for Space Transport Study (CSTS) the longer duration's than a moon flight. A industry alliance recognized that aEarty manned space station in earth orbit identification and definition of system seemed to be the answer; however, the attributes and requirements is essential cost of access to space in support of a to ensuring the transportation system space station was not supported by meets the user's needs."". Table 1, NASA's projected annual budget. The Common CSTS Attributes, is an solution was an inlefim space station, overview of identified attributes which Skylab, and the development of a must be found in the next generation reusable space transportation system, launch system as identified in CSTS Final the Space Shuttle. · · · Report in order for the system to be both operationally & economically feasible. The economic plan used to develop the operations scenario for the shuttle was Table 1 - Common CSTS Attributes a five orbiter fleet with a projected flight rate of forty flights per year from the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Catenorv Attribute and an additional twenty flights per year Dependability High probability of from Vandenberg Air Force Base Launching on (VAFB). Early analyses confinned that Schedule Schedule Minimum Advanced forty flights from KSC could only be Bookino Time achieved if vehicle ground turnaround Reliability >Current Systems could be completed within 160 hours, Cost Minimum Cost Per hence the 160 hour turnaround Launch allocation. The 160 hour allocation Operations Standardized and processing timeline included initial Simplified Payload operations and