Current and proposed launch systems will provide access to low-Earth orbit (LEO), and destinations beyond LEO, but the cost of delivering payloads will preclude the use of these services by many users. To develop and encourage revolutionary commercial utilization of geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and to provide an affordable means to continue NASA space science and exploration missions, the transportation costs to in-space destinations must be reduced. The principal objective of this study was to conceptually define three to four promising approaches to in-space transportation for delivery of satellites and other payloads, 3,000- to 10,000-lb class, to GEO destinations. This study established a methodology for evaluating in-space transportation systems based on life-cycle cost. The reusable concepts seemed to fare better in the evaluation than expendable, since a major driver in the life-cycle cost was the stage production cost.


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    Title :

    Affordable In-Space Transportation


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1996


    Size :

    128 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Affordable in-space transportation

    Curtis, L. / Van Dyke, M. / LaJoie, R. | AIAA | 1996


    Affordable In-Space Transportation

    Curtis, L. A. / VanDyke, M. K. / Lajoie, R. M. et al. | NTRS | 1996



    Affordable In-Space Transportation

    Curtis, L. / Van Dyke, M. / LaJoie, R. M. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1996