AbstractNear-future goals of international launch systems are aimed at placing payloads of at least 5000 kg into geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO). In the United States, this will be accomplished by the Shuttle with a new upper stage and complementary expendable launch vehicle (CELV) such as the Titan 34D7/Centaur. The Soviet Union's efforts will also achieve this goal and the European Space Agency's (ESA) Ariane 5 will approach it. It appears clear that the U.S. will revert to a mixed fleet policy, utilizing the Shuttle only for those missions where its capacity is needed or where manned presence is a necessity. The ESA Hermes and the Soviet shuttle will also be chiefly used in the latter capacity.In the United States and the Soviet Union, much thought and some funds are being devoted to the study of third-generation space transportation systems. The objectives are to achieve either/or ready access to space, low cost per pound to orbit, and very heavy weights (at low cost/pound) to orbit. Concepts such as the AerospacePlane and HOTOL (horizontal take-off and landing); the Shuttle-derived vehicles (SDV), and mammoth heavy lift launch vehicles (HLLVs) are being studied.The third generation of launch vehicles will serve both civilian and military needs. Civilian applications represent a myriad of advanced needs. They range from the normal extension of present communications, earth observations, in-space manufacturing, and space station and other manned operations to the more exotic missions of Mars expeditions (both manned and unmanned), lunar bases, and large space-based power systems. Military applications are likely to include advanced intelligence and reconnaissance systems, spacecraft servicing and maintenance tasks, support of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) systems, and possibly a permanent manned presence in space. Both civil and military aims may lead to the development of the AerospacePlane. This vehicle could evolve into forms designed for high speed air and space transportation and flexible response missions.This paper describes the present thinking and early plans of medium launch vehicles, advanced shuttles, and AerospacePlane-type vehicles. Shuttle-derived and heavy-lift earth to low orbit systems are discussed, along with the ESA/Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) Hermes and Soviet shuttle concepts.


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    Titel :

    Trends in space transportation


    Beteiligte:

    Erschienen in:

    Acta Astronautica ; 16 ; 105-112


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1987-01-01


    Format / Umfang :

    8 pages




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch





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