A Review of Theoretical Works about the P4S-1 Pulsed Plasma Thruster
- Paper number
IAC-04-S.4.08
- Author
Mr. Sergio A. Elaskar, Instituto Universitario Aeronautico, Argentina
- Year
2004
- Abstract
Purpose: This is a follow-on paper to the papers that were presented by the authors at the 25th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science (ISTS) in Japan and at the 57th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Spain in 2006. The two ISTS papers (2006-a-22 and 2006-a-23) summarized the surveys of the U.S. and Non-U.S. small launch vehicle (SLV) failure histories. The IAC paper (06-D2.4.10) assessed the U.S. human space launch and flight programs. In this paper, the failure history of heavy launch vehicles (HLVs) for space exploration since the inception of the space age is discussed in details. The primary failure causes and associated analyses of both the U.S. and Non-U.S. HLVs are summarized. The study is a portion of a continuing effort to investigate the failure causes and corrective actions of the world space launch vehicles. The purpose is to provide lessons learned on HLVs from the past in order to mitigate launch failures in the future.
Methodology: A comprehensive database has been developed by The Aerospace Corporation that will eventually log the entire space flight launch history. Data has been compiled from multiple sources including information available in the public domain. A significant part of the database compilation process consists of reviewing and comparing the various sources, identifying conflicts, and resolving inconsistencies. Space launch failure history data is a part of the comprehensive database highlighting launch failure description and corrective action explanation for all small, medium, and heavy launch vehicles in the world. This paper addresses the heavy launch vehicle (HLV) failure history for the class of vehicles capable of delivering payload above 15,000 kg to low earth orbit (LEO). An accompanying paper on medium launch vehicle (MLV) failure history will appear in the future.
Results: The paper starts with a description of U.S. orbital HLV background and reliability during the last 51 years (1957-2007), followed by investigation of the causes of U.S. HLV failures in the most recent 23 years (1985-2007). The paper then addresses Non-U.S. orbital HLV background and reliability during the same 51-year period followed by a similar investigation of the causes of Non-U.S. HLV failures in the last 23 years. Results of analysis of launch failures by root cause, element, function, domain, component, and part and of launch failure outcome, mode, and time are presented. Findings of failures and their mitigation strategy for HLVs are summarized at the end of the paper. The study results provide information for mitigating launch risks and will be useful to the heavy launch vehicle development in the NASA Constellation project.
Conclusions: The study is nearly complete, and a presentation package with substantive technical and programmatic content will be forthcoming in the coming months. The compilation of data from the different space programs and detailed analysis of launch failures and their mitigation strategy make the material in this IAC paper new and original.
The paper has not been presented elsewhere, and financing the attendance of at least on author at the 59th IAC in Glasgow, Scotland to present the paper is assured.
- Abstract document