Report developed under SBIR contract for topic AF05-201. The increased use of reusable systems continues to be one of the most promising options for creating advancements in the daily maintenance of rocket systems, lowering hours for preparation and diminishing expenses for preparation. However, since the end of the DC-X/XA Delta Clipper program, flight testing of candidate reusable launch vehicle (RLV) designs, technologies and operations has come to a halt. This project addressed this situation through the development and flight testing during Phase I of an early prototype RLV that could ultimately evolve into the first stage of an operational nanosat launch vehicle (NLV). This LOX/ethanol-propellant vehicle -the Prospector 7 -took flight twice within a 3.5 hour period after less than a day of pre-launch field preparations, thereby establishing a new reference metric for RLV-type responsive, fast turn-around launch operations. Besides serving as an operational pathfinder, this RLV test bed also manifested several academic payloads in support of a related goal of assessing candidate nanosat-class payload accommodations. In a solid demonstration of the commercial potential for this kind of capability, the Prospector 7 itself has already been assigned to non-SBIR follow-on flight test activities.


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    Reusable Launch Vehicle Engine Systems Operations Analysis

    Komar, D. R. / Christenson, R. L. / American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1996


    Reusable launch vehicle engine systems operations analysis

    Komar, D. / Christenson, R. | AIAA | 1996




    Operations Analysis of the 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle

    Noneman, Steven R. / Smith, C. A. | NTRS | 2002