Physical frameworks of safe vehicles for space tourism

Paper number

IAC-06-E3.4.03

Author

Mr. Alexander Golikov, Central Aero-HydroDynamic Institute, Russia

Coauthor

Dr. Alexander Filatyev, Central Aero-HydroDynamic Institute, Russia

Coauthor

Dr. Olga Yanova, Central Aero-HydroDynamic Institute, Russia

Coauthor

Dr. Sergey A. Petrokovsky, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, Russia

Year

2006

Abstract

Development of space tourism expands conventional frameworks of enterprises producing space vehicles for launch and reentry. The idea of sub-orbital flights into space, requiring essentially smaller power costs in comparison with orbital ones, is at first sight attractive especially for small companies. However, it is necessary to see not only advantages, but also shortages and new problems of guarantee of such flights.

The first, obvious, shortage of sub-orbital trajectories for space tourists is an essentially smaller duration compared with the orbital flight.

In the paper the attention is accented to the other, latent, but key factor: new problems of safety guarantee of such flights. In particular, it is paid attention to the known theoretical outcome: reduction of the spacecraft velocity in the apogee of the trajectory loop in comparison with the orbital velocity with other factors being equal results in increase of aerodynamic loads which are experienced by the vehicle at the descent phase in the atmosphere. Under some requirements relevant to actual types of re-entry vehicles, at apogee velocities in 3 - 6 km/s the maximum dynamic pressure and g-load at the subsequent descent in dense atmospheric layers can increase in some times and even in an order compared with trajectories of quasistationary descent of the same vehicles from low Earth orbits.

It is shown, how physical limitations on the ascent and re-entry segments form conflict requirements to configurations of the launcher and re-entry vehicle. The safety requirements select rather narrow corridor of permissible values of design parameters of the both vehicles. For some current and future ones the safety corridor can degenerate so such vehicles, having at first sight comprehensive power indexes, cannot be used for the purposes of space tourism at all. The developed method of the safety corridor formation is presented. The indicated peculiarities demonstrated in applications to some vehicles for a launch and re-entry. 

Abstract document

IAC-06-E3.4.03.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-E3.4.03.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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