Possible Engineering Design Solutions for Developent of Heavy and Super-Heavy Oxygen-Kerosene Space Rocket

Abstract

The paper presents the results of an independent design study into the feasibility of developing for the Super-Heavy Space Rocket (SHSR) with 140–170 ton payload capacity a modular Launch Vehicle (LV) in the form of a tri-pack cluster of three two-stage medium LVs Soyuz-5 and three side-mounted bi-pack clusters based on coupling together the first stages of LV Soyuz-5 based on NPO Energomash oxygen-kerosene main engines RD171MV, RD180, RD191M and a four-chamber version of the RD120 engine. In addition to this, the paper discusses the feasibility of using the tri-pack cluster from the SHSR as a standalone Heavy LV with an increased payload capacity (50–60tons) to assure its more frequent use, and thus upkeep the operational reliability of the more powerful SHSR. The paper demonstrates the feasibility of designing the second-phase reusable versions of the first-stage clusters for SHSR and Heavy LV, as well as the feasibility of manned lunar missions using not two, but only one SHSR. Key words: integrated launch vehicle, launch vehicle, main engine, tri-pack cluster, bi-pack cluster, crew transportation spacecraft, lunar take-off and landing vehicle.