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Comparative Analysis Of Two-Stage-To-Orbit Rocket And Airbreathing Reusable Launch Vehicles For Military Applications, Joseph M. Hank
Comparative Analysis Of Two-Stage-To-Orbit Rocket And Airbreathing Reusable Launch Vehicles For Military Applications, Joseph M. Hank
Theses and Dissertations
The Department of Defense (DoD) has identified operationally responsive, low-cost access to space as vital to maintaining U.S. military supremacy. Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) will allow the U.S. to keep a technological advantage over our adversaries, and advances in airbreathing propulsion technology have made it feasible for use in space launch vehicles. This study considers two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) RLV configurations, each using combinations of propulsion including pure rocket, pure turbine, rocket-based-combined-cycle (RBCC), and turbine-based-combined-cycle (TBCC) for the both stages. This study explores the advantages of airbreathing propulsion in those key areas when compared to a baseline configuration, using vehicle empty mass …
Discrete Event Simulation Model Of The Ground Maintenance Operations Cycle Of A Reusable Launch Vehicle, John T. Pope Iii
Discrete Event Simulation Model Of The Ground Maintenance Operations Cycle Of A Reusable Launch Vehicle, John T. Pope Iii
Theses and Dissertations
The Air Force uses a family of expendable launch vehicles to meet its spacelift needs. Unfortunately, this method is not responsive: months of preparation are typically required and launch costs are high. Consequently, the Air Force seeks a reusable military launch vehicle that can be launched inexpensively and quickly regenerated between flights. Air Force Research Laboratory personnel desire a tool to help evaluate candidate designs and perform tradeoff studies necessary to acquire a launch vehicle that will achieve Air Force goals. The objective of this research was first to develop a conceptual model of maintenance operations needed to regenerate a …