Future United States' space facilities include a Space Station in low Earth orbit (LEO) and a Geosynchronous Operations Support Center, or GeoShack, in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). One possible mode of transfer between the two orbits is an aerobraking vehicle. When traveling from GEO to LEO, the Earth's atmosphere can be used to aerodynamically reduce the velocity of the vehicle, which reduces the amount of propulsive change in velocity required for the mission. An aerobrake is added to the vehicle for this purpose, but the additional mass increases propellant requirements. This increase must not exceed the amount of propellant saved during the aeropass. The design and development of an aerobraking vehicle that will transfer crew and cargo between the Space Station and GeoShack is examined. The vehicle is referred to as Project SPARC, a SPace-based Aeroassisted Reusable Craft. SPARC consists of a removable 45 ft diameter aerobrake, two modified Pratt and Whitney Advanced Expander Engines with a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen propellant, a removable crew module with a maximum capacity of five, and standard sized payload bays providing a maximum payload capacity of 28,000 lbm. The aerobrake, a rigid, ellipsoidally blunted elliptical cone, provides lift at zero angle-of-attack due to a 73 deg rake angle, and is covered with a flexible multi-layer thermal protection system. Maximum dry mass of the vehicle without payload is 20,535 lbm, and the maximum propellant requirement is 79,753 lbm at an oxidizer to fuel ratio of 6/1. Key advantages of SPARC include its capability to meet mission changes, and its removable aerobrake and crew module.


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    Titel :

    Project SPARC: Space-Based Aeroassisted Reusable Craft


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1990


    Format / Umfang :

    155 pages


    Medientyp :

    Report


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch





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