Session
Technical Session III: New Approaches to Space Launch
Abstract
A system study has been conducted to investigate the use of established sounding rocket technologies, methods, and practices to lower the cost of placing small lightweight satellites into low earth orbit. The cost savings gained in utilizing such technologies are largely due to the simplification of booster design and operations. Launching a 150 kilogram satellite into a 200 nautical mile, sun-synchronous orbit was selected as the target requirement. Designs and operating practices developed for Sandia National Laboratories' Strypi class suborbital sounding rockets have been applied to a vehicle configuration with sufficient boost performance to meet this target. The "Super-Strypi" spinning booster system is rail launched and flies an unguided, fin-stabilized ballistic trajectory while in the atmosphere. The exo-atmospheric upper stages use spin-stabilization to maintain a constant thrust direction during bum, eliminating the complication of an active thrust vector control system during powered flight. A "fail-safe" command enable philosophy for the ignition of upper stages eliminates the need for a command destruct flight termination system. Recurring cost per launch is expected to be approximately $5.0 million for the concept presented in this study, assuming a minimum launch rate of two flights per year.
Launch of "Smallsats" using Low-Cost Sounding Rocket: Technologies, Methods, and Practices
A system study has been conducted to investigate the use of established sounding rocket technologies, methods, and practices to lower the cost of placing small lightweight satellites into low earth orbit. The cost savings gained in utilizing such technologies are largely due to the simplification of booster design and operations. Launching a 150 kilogram satellite into a 200 nautical mile, sun-synchronous orbit was selected as the target requirement. Designs and operating practices developed for Sandia National Laboratories' Strypi class suborbital sounding rockets have been applied to a vehicle configuration with sufficient boost performance to meet this target. The "Super-Strypi" spinning booster system is rail launched and flies an unguided, fin-stabilized ballistic trajectory while in the atmosphere. The exo-atmospheric upper stages use spin-stabilization to maintain a constant thrust direction during bum, eliminating the complication of an active thrust vector control system during powered flight. A "fail-safe" command enable philosophy for the ignition of upper stages eliminates the need for a command destruct flight termination system. Recurring cost per launch is expected to be approximately $5.0 million for the concept presented in this study, assuming a minimum launch rate of two flights per year.
