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2005•AIAA/CIRA 13th International Space Planes and Hypersonics Systems and Technologies ConferenceRequires access

Design Study on a Small-Sized Partially Reusable Launch System

Yoshinori Minami, Shinji Ishimoto, Takashige Mori, Kenji Fujii

Open publisher page 8 citations

Abstract

This paper describes a result of a concept study on a small-sized TSTO (Two-Stage-ToOrbit) partially reusable launch rocket system that can inject 1Mg payload into LEO (Low Earth Orbit). The partially reusable launch system in this study is composed of a first stage reusable vehicle and a second stage conventional expendable vehicle. These vehicles’ concept is designed. Assumption of postulations, selection of rocket engines, and estimation of vehicle size and mass are carried out. Then, three types of ascent and fly back trajectories are optimized and those performances are compared. Finally the feasibility of the system was evaluated. The first one of the trajectories is using VTAM (Vertical Turnaround Maneuver), the second one is similar but has a capability of rocket engine re-ignition (referred as VTAM+ in this paper) and the last one is HTAM (Horizontal Turnaround Maneuver) with a capability of rocket engine re-ignition.

About this research paper

What this paper is about

This paper describes a result of a concept study on a small-sized TSTO (Two-Stage-ToOrbit) partially reusable launch rocket system that can inject 1Mg payload into LEO (Low Earth Orbit). The partially reusable launch system in this study is composed of a first stage reusable vehicle and a second stage conventional expendable vehicle. These vehicles’ concept is designed. Assumption of postulations, selection of rocket engines, and estimation of vehicle size and mass are carried out. Then, three types of ascent and fly back trajectories are optimized and those performances are compared. Finally the feasibility of the system was evaluated. The first one of the trajectories is using VTAM (Vertical Turnaround Maneuver), the second one is similar but has a capability of rocket engine re-ignition (referred as VTAM+ in this paper) and the last one is HTAM (Horizontal Turnaround Maneuver) with a capability of rocket engine re-ignition.

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OpenAlex reports 8 citations for this work. Citation counts describe recorded attention and do not establish research quality.

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Method / approach

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Available abstract

This paper describes a result of a concept study on a small-sized TSTO (Two-Stage-ToOrbit) partially reusable launch rocket system that can inject 1Mg payload into LEO (Low Earth Orbit). The partially reusable launch system in this study is composed of a first stage reusable vehicle and a second stage conventional expendable vehicle. These vehicles’ concept is designed. Assumption of postulations, selection of rocket engines, and estimation of vehicle size and mass are carried out. Then, three types of ascent and fly back trajectories are optimized and those performances are compared. Finally the feasibility of the system was evaluated. The first one of the trajectories is using VTAM (Vertical Turnaround Maneuver), the second one is similar but has a capability of rocket engine re-ignition (referred as VTAM+ in this paper) and the last one is HTAM (Horizontal Turnaround Maneuver) with a capability of rocket engine re-ignition.

Key concepts: Launch vehicle, Computer science, Systems engineering, Aerospace engineering, Engineering

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