Reusable Launch Vehicle - Booster - Fly-Back by cryogenic propulsion

Paper number

IAC-05-B4.5-D2.7.09

Author

Mr. Arnaud Belloli, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

Year

2005

Abstract

In the 90s, the Future European Space Transportation Investigation Program (FESTIP) aimed at providing Europe with a cheaper access to space beyond Ariane 5. To this end, it has sought to define reusable launcher configurations adapted to Europe s requirements, to develop the necessary technologies to acquire practical experience with reuse operations and to validate those technology developments under realistic flight conditions. The concepts retained for further analysis include semi-reusable and reusable vehicles promising a significant launch-cost reduction. Consequently, the Future Launchers Preparatory Program (FLPP) proposed by ESA has been created to identify and mature the technological developments needed to build such a project.

     CNES has initiated system studies with EADS Space Transportations (EADS-ST) as prime contractor and an industrial team (Snecma-Moteurs, Dassault-Aviation, Onera), defining first all possible TSTO configurations with an expendable module, among three families identified according to the Mach at separation. A Mach 6 separation concept was found offering the best robustness to the ranking process. After a preliminary definition study, a system loop has been performed and has led to a first definition of the selected configuration, named EVEREST (Evolved European Reusable Space Transport).

     The first stage, the booster, provides mainly initial impulse prior to flying back to the launch site, through a gliding phase followed by a propellant cruise. The second stage, the orbiter reusable too, delivers the expendable upper stage (EUS) on the circular LEO orbit which has to inject the payload into the GTO orbit. The launcher has been designed to perform a vertical take-off in Kourou whereas the booster \& orbiter have to land horizontally. Finally, the integration of orbiter and booster is belly-to-belly with a forward EUS configuration.

     Within the Research and Future Project Team of the CNES, my work consisted on the analysis of alternate solutions to the heavy fly back booster propulsion system proposed by the Everest studies (civil aircraft engines \& kerosene fuel) with the help of the cryogenic propulsion available on the vehicule for the ascent phase :
  - By booster braking after separation : turnaround, cancellation of the horizontal speed and gliding fly back to the launch site.
  - By reigniting the cryogenic propulsion after the booster re-entry \& descent, for performing a new ascent and gliding fly back phase.

This includes a feasibility study with preliminary calculations such as trajectories, mass \& fluids budget and general loads \& sizing.

     Then, an optimization study of the lift to drag ratio has been done : Influence of the aspect ratio of the wings on the subsonic lift to drag ratio, on propulsion needs during the fly back phase, on the masses and loads during the ascent phase. 
     The difficulty stands in the compromise that has to be done between the carriage of an important <inert> mass during the ascent and the necessary propellant for the fly-back phase, by respecting the first sizing done by the Everest studies.

Abstract document

IAC-05-B4.5-D2.7.09.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-05-B4.5-D2.7.09.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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