Next generation launcher studies: preparing the long term access to space
- Paper number
IAC-06-D2.2.03
- Author
Mr. Olivier Gogdet, EADS Astrium, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Yves Prel, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France
- Coauthor
Mrs. Emilie Arnoud, EADS Astrium, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Anton Kolozezny, Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TSNIIMASH), Russia
- Coauthor
Mr. Christophe Talbot, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France
- Coauthor
Mr. Marco Prampolini, EADS Astrium, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Yuriy Sumin, Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TSNIIMASH), Russia
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The European and Russian launcher sectors are today in the process of assessing what the next generation launcher should be. The concepts of launchers studied, proposed and designed during the last decades in Europe have not succeeded in bringing down the main hurdle to space activities : in orbit injection cost. However, besides this launch cost, other parameters such as availability, flexibility and reliability are gaining importance. In the past years CNES has initiated, together with EADS Space Transportation as the main contractor in Europe, a series of system studies to determined what the most interesting configurations would be for the next generation of launchers. Similar studies have been initiated in cooperation with Roskosmos and Tsniimash in Russia. Today, four main activities are underway to prepare the long-term launcher concepts that should arrive around 2020-2025: - OURAL is a European-Russian cooperation program initiated by CNES and Roskosmos, aiming at preparing the NGL that will enter service in 2020, replacing current and under-development launchers. For this purpose, EADS Space Transportation (EADS-ST) and Tsniimash are leading an industrial team involving French and Russian companies and organisations. The OURAL program includes Demonstrator as well as System activities. These last ones aim at identifying the most promising NGL concept consistent with the assessed 2020 market needs and preparing the demonstration roadmap. The activities are underway, a technical and economical trade-off has to be performed before the system design loop, taking into account parameters such as the NGL reusability level, and fulfilling the requirements defined together with the agencies. - In cooperation with Tsniimash, the study of an evolution of Ariane 5, called BARGOUZIN, featuring Cryogenic Fly Back boosters, was sponsored by CNES in the last few years. The main objectives were to reduce the recurring costs of the system. The configuration for the booster is a winged vehicle with 3 or 4 Vulcain III engines, identical to the central core, except for the nozzle length. Current studies include system tradeoffs, programmatic analysis and technical consolidation (like as for example : the aerodynamic shape, the ascent controllability and the thermal-mechanical design). - The ELV2020 exploratory studies in France have been looking at innovative expendable launcher concepts. It appears as necessary to stop the incremental improvement logic for existing launchers by minimizing its structural coefficient. Such an approach leads to the use of very advanced technologies and processes, and hence to high recurring costs. Building a launcher based on reliable and proven technologies, even with a reduced performance, will contribute to lowering the cost of the in-orbit kilogramme. An expendable lower stage based on a low cost cryogenic engine, called Viking-H, proposed by Snecma Moteurs of France and innovative upper stages mounted on a cluster of first stages are envisioned. - The system studies on RLV concepts in France have led to the definition of the EVEREST configuration, with the key objective to assess technical-economical feasibility of this type of launcher. Different concepts were proposed by EADS ST and ranked, leading to the selection of a two stage to orbit vehicle with a Mach 6 separation, featuring fully reusable winged Booster and winged Orbiter. Both vehicles use cryogenic LOX/LH2, with identical rocket engines (except for the nozzle length). During the boosted phase , the Orbiter engines are fuelled by cross-feeding. On the retained candidates (variations on the payload bay positions as well as the aerodynamic configurations) system studies were carried out, highlighting the critical technical points. Also, preliminary costs estimations were produced.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-D2.2.03.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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