Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles with Existing Propulsion Systems

What is it about?

Both In-line and Sidemount Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV) concepts, utilizing Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) and Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) elements, would enable exploration missions that might otherwise be impractical with current launch vehicles. Potential missions and payloads include space telescopes, fuel depots, Mars, Venus, Europa, and Titan sample return vehicles, Crewed Lunar and Near Earth Object (NEO) vehicles, power beaming platforms and others. The use of existing main propulsion systems (SSME, RS-68 engines, SRBs) would minimize the upfront cost and shorten the time to initial operational capability (IOC) of any new HLLV as compared to a similar program with new propulsion elements. The SSME and RS-68 are flight proven; their use would result in reduced development risk, compared to, for example, that for a HLLV based on a new, high thrust LO2/Hydrocarbon (HC) engine. Although HC engine/tank systems may have advantages from a packaging and density impulse prospective, the benefit might be marginal, and DDT&E costs and schedule impacts would be substantial. Transitioning existing propulsion assets to a HLLV program could lead to a first flight in 2017 and an IOC in 2018-19. Both the In-Line and Side-mount configurations could use the 8.4 meter diameter tank tooling at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF); 8.4 m upper stage tank sets could be fabricated there also. It will be shown that a 4 SSME, 5 segment SRB based In-line HLLV could lift 107 mt to LEO and 42 mt to TLI velocity with a 10% margin

Featured Image