A Systems Approach to Developing an Affordable Space Ground Transportation Architecture using a Commonality Approach

Garcia, Jerry L.; McCleskey, Carey M.; Bollo, Timothy R.; Rhodes, Russel E.; Robinson, John

doi:10.2514/6.2012-4152

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…24 Similarly, the community needs to know where specific operations and support functions can be reduced by design of the flight system and through greater attention to investments in this area than are normally given during the marketing and initial design of a launch vehicle, for instance. 25,26,27,28,29 …”

Section: What Is Needed?mentioning

confidence: 99%

An Analysis and Review of Measures and Relationships in Space Transportation Affordability

Zapata

McCleskey²

2014

50th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference

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The affordability of transportation to or from space is of continued interest across numerous and diverse stakeholders in our aerospace industry. Such an important metric as affordability deserves a clear understanding among stakeholders about what is meant by affordability, costs, and related terms, as otherwise it's difficult to see where specific improvements are needed or where to target specific investments. As captured in the famous words of Lewis Carroll, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". As important as understanding a metric may be, with terms such as costs, prices, specific costs, average costs, marginal costs, etc., it is equally important to understand the relationship among these measures. In turn, these measures intermingle with caveats and factors that introduce more measures in need of a common understanding among stakeholders. These factors include flight rates, capability, and payload. This paper seeks to review the costs of space transportation systems and the relationships among the many factors involved in costs from the points of view of diverse decision makers. A decision maker may have an interest in acquiring a single launch considering the best price (along with other factors in their business case), or an interest in many launches over time. Alternately, a decision maker may have a specific interest in developing a space transportation system that will offer certain prices, or flight rate capability, or both, at a certain up-front cost. The question arises for the later, to reuse or to expend? As it is necessary in thinking about the future to clearly understand the past and the present, this paper will present data and graphics to assist stakeholders in visualizing trends and the current state of affairs in the launch industry. At all times, raw data will be referenced (or made available separately) alongside detailed explanations about the data, so as to avoid the confusion or misleading conclusions that occur more often than not with complex graphs or statements when such context is lacking. NomenclatureCASM = Cost per Available Seat Mile ELC = ELV Launch Capabilities Contract EELV = Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle LEO = Low Earth Orbit ULA = United Launch Alliance

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Section: What Is Needed?mentioning

confidence: 99%

An Analysis and Review of Measures and Relationships in Space Transportation Affordability

Zapata

McCleskey²

2014

50th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference

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“…A paradigm shift in our design focus is needed 8 for space transportation to become more economical. This is an area SPST has been working for many years ( Ref 1,3,4,5, 8,9). Once this transportation cost is reduced significantly, the return on investment will become more attractive to these investors.…”

Section: What Are the Incentivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long Term Space Objectives Using Optonal Roadmaps

Henderson

Rhodes

Robinson

2013

49th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference

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The SPST has taken the position that the ultimate reason for man's establishing habitation and industrialization in low Earth orbit and beyond is to provide improved quality of life on Earth and eventually for the continued evolution and survival of mankind. The Earth cannot support its growing population without the use of resources from space. These benefits require the establishment of habitats in space as well as at the solar system's near-Earth heavenly bodies, e.g., the Moon, Mars, and Venus. The SPST also determined there are several other compelling reasons for man's exploring and/or establishing habitation beyond low Earth orbit. For man to accomplish these objectives in a way that is affordable and sustainable, it is required to first plan a structured roadmap with many options. It is the intent of this paper to provide a preliminary optional roadmap to allow others an understanding of the magnitude of such a long range objective. This conceptual roadmap will outline the need and sequence for both manned and unmanned missions and the involvement of government, industry, commercial, institutional, private and international partners. Nomenclature COTS= commercial operational transportation system GEO = geosynchronous orbit IP = International Partners ISRU = Insitu resource utilization ISS = International Space Station ITAR = international trafficking and arms control LCC = life cycle cost LEO = low Earth orbit HEO = high Earth orbit LOX = liquid oxygen NEO = near Earth objects NEP = nuclear electric propulsion OTV = orbital transfer vehicles SEP = solar electric propulsion SPST = Space Propulsion Synergy Team STEM = science, technology, engineering, and mathematics TRL = technology readiness level 1 NASA/JSC Space Shuttle Program, Advanced Studies, retired, and AIAA Associate Fellow 2

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“…Multiple propellants 5. Hypergolic propellants (safety) 6 The operations concerns that have been identified provided a basis for carefully examining the elements of the propulsion system that need to be addressed.…”

Section: Launch Vehicle Requirementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mostly-Reusable LOX/H2 Space Transportation Concept Enabled through Advanced Technologies

Robinson¹,

Rhodes²,

Henderson³

2014

50th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference

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This paper describes selected notional vehicle and ground support system in support of the Advanced Space Transportation Concepts and Propulsion Technologies for a New Delivery Paradigm. This system uses environmentally clean (zero carbon) propellants. It builds on the work of the previous paper "Approach to an Affordable and Productive Space Transportation System". (ref xx) The scope includes both flight and ground system elements, and focuses on their compatibility and capability to achieve a technical solution that is operationally productive and also affordable. A clear and revolutionary approach, including advanced propulsion systems (advanced LOX rich booster engine concept having independent LOX and fuel cooling systems, thrust augmentation with LOX rich boost and fuel rich operation at altitude), improved vehicle concepts (autogeneous pressurization, turbo alternator for electric power during ascent, hot gases to purge system and keep moisture out), and 100% automated functional verification for ground processing. Previous papers by the authors and other members of the Space Propulsion Synergy Team (SPST)focused on space flight system engineering methods, along with operationally efficient propulsion system concepts and technologies. This paper continues the previous work by applying the propulsion technology from the to a notional vehicle design and ground support system. Subsequent papers will explore the operations, vehicle and ground system concepts and cost aspects of the new delivery paradigm in greater detail.

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A Systems Approach to Developing an Affordable Space Ground Transportation Architecture using a Commonality Approach

Cited by 6 publications

References 5 publications

An Analysis and Review of Measures and Relationships in Space Transportation Affordability

An Analysis and Review of Measures and Relationships in Space Transportation Affordability

Long Term Space Objectives Using Optonal Roadmaps

Mostly-Reusable LOX/H2 Space Transportation Concept Enabled through Advanced Technologies

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