Boeing proposes X-37B for ISS cargo/crew operations

In article ba76e8b4-f515-4cd6-aaa3-635ec5819af5
@r6g2000yqh.googlegroups.com, says...

On Mar 25, 3:33*pm, Jeff Findley wrote:
In article , nospam@
127.0.0.1 says...



On 3/23/2013 7:25 PM, Anonymous wrote:

Most importantly, I'm convinced that no winged space plane will ever be safe
since an explosion of the booster rocket will almost certainly rip the wings
and / or tails off the mini-shuttle,
making a safe RTLS unlikely.

Umm, the USAF wasn't as convinced as you seem to be. The X-20 DynaSoar
program mounted a winged vehicle atop a Titan III.

The risk of exploding booster is easier to manage when the vehicle is at
the top of the stack instead of on the side. Don't draw too many
conclusions from the old shuttle design...

But as NASA found out with Ares I, it's not as easy as they'd like it to
be. *Case rupture of a large solid, resulting in a debris cloud of
relatively large, relatively dense, relatively hot pieces of solid
propellant, is an issue to be dealt with most carefully.

the ares problem was excess vibration which could of killed the crew
by liquifying some of their body parts like their liver and spleen....

False. The vibration problem was a problem solved by throwing some mass
at it. Unfortunately, Ares I didn't have much (any?) excess payload
capacity to provide.

The large segmented solid stage case rupture scenario is not so easily
solved, especially for a vehicle which uses parachutes for descent.

Jeff
--
"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would
magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper
than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in
and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer

In article , nospam@
127.0.0.1 says...

Dave Spain wrote:
Umm, the USAF wasn't as convinced as you seem to be. The X-20 DynaSoar
program mounted a winged vehicle atop a Titan III

On 3/25/2013 3:33 PM, Jeff Findley wrote:..
But as NASA found out with Ares I, it's not as easy as they'd like
it to be. Case rupture of a large solid, resulting in a debris cloud
of relatively large, relatively dense, relatively hot pieces of solid
propellant, is an issue to be dealt with most carefully.

Interestingly enough, it was again a USAF study that pointed out that
risk. For Ares I this was a significant problem because it required that
the Orion capsule return through that field with a recovery system that
relies on nylon parachutes. Since Titan III also used strap-on solid
boosters it would be interesting to see what the recovery flight profile
of the X20 was to have been. Note one significant difference, the X-20
was a glider with a titanium skin.

That and other exotic metals in order to withstand the heat of reentry.
Unfortunately, much of that skin was rather thin and therefore rather
fragile. I'm not certain if case rupture was a survivable scenario even
for the X-20.

The scenario the X-20 could handle was an abort where the solids
terminated thrust. Hence the blow-out ports at the top of the Titan
III-M boosters.

Even so, I think you and I agree that for manned spaceflight, solid
rocket boosters are preferably an issue not to be dealt with at all.

Agreed. Most concerning to me is failure modes, like case rupture,
which seem to happen with some regularity, happen with little to no
warning, and which pose very great challenges for a manned vehicle to
escape the ensuing cloud of debris.

Jeff
--
"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would
magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper
than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in
and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer

On Thursday, March 14, 2013 1:49:29 AM UTC+13, Jeff Findley wrote:
Boeing proposes X-37B for ISS cargo/crew operations

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/...abilities-iss-

missions/



The article isn't clear why NASA appears to have dismissed this Boeing

proposal, which was made shortly after the first successful test flight

of X-37B. Of course, you have to be a paying customer to see the

original Boeing presentation on "L2".



Jeff

--

"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would

magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper

than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in

and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer

Two external tanks strapped together,

(1) equipped with cross-feed,
(2) with a thermal protection system capable of sustaining re-entry
(3) equipped with inflatable wings
(4) propelled by an aerospike engine at the base of each

provide a 'highly-reusable heavy launch system'

External Tank
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/...mages/et_1.jpg

J2T-250k
http://wpcontent.answcdn.com/wikiped...-Aerospike.jpg

The aerospike engine produces 10x the thrust as the J2 and uses three pump sets from the RS-68 engine to feed the set of annular engines in each external tank based vehicles.

http://www.pwrengineering.com/datare...tury-RS-68.doc

The two External Tanks operating in parallel lift off, with propellant being fed from one of the two tanks.

This first stage tank is 153.8 ft long and 27.6 ft in diameter with a 22.6 ft long intertank region. It is strapped to a second stage tank that's 200 ft long and 27.6 ft in diameter with a 68.8 ft long intertank region - equipped to carry up to 225,000 lbs of payload.

Each tank masses 66,000 lbs as the original External Tank, and each also bears an additional 75,000 lbs of add-ons, propulsion, thermal protection, inflatable wings, and so forth. The second stage tank also bears an added 25,000 lb payload section that's 68.8 ft long and 27.6 ft in diameter capable of carrying 225,000 lbs of pyaload.

All engines fire at lift off lifting the 3,711,200 lbs vehicle at 1.35 gees.. The first stage tank feeds both engines, accelerating the pair to a speed of 7,700 feet per second. At this point the stages separate 200 nm down range at 100 nm altitude. The first stage descends and slows to subsonic speed 400 nm down range. It then deploys an inflatable wing and glides toward a recovery plane loitering down range. It drops a tow line, the recovery plane catches it, and tows the first stage back to the launch center. This is done automatically

https://www.grasp.upenn.edu/success_...adrotor_flight

At the launch center the first stage is released and glides to a landing apron. There it executes a pitch up maneuver, remaining propellant aboard the tank is expended to restart the engine at low thrust to execute a vertical touchdown on a landing platform specially designed to accept and hold the vehicle. This eliminates the need for landing gear.

The 1,980,600 lb second stage continues to carry on to orbit. Once on orbit after burning 1,589,577 lbs of propellant it deploys its 225,000 lb payload, retrieves whatever payload may be available for it, and returns to Earth.

The orbiter re-enters and slows as the first stage did deploying inflatable wings at subsonic speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SBi9Bffbb4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2WtEOaDNUA

Then, executing a vertical touchdown on a specially prepared landing vehicle that absorbs landing forces and clamps the vehicle in place. The landing vehicle also acts as a transporter and each is capable of docking and presenting the stages for rejoining.

With a turn-around time of twenty-four hours a fleet of three vehicles costing $250 million each with a development cost of $1.25 billion - a total of $2.0 billion. (including improved launch/recovery system)


With 1,000 flight cycles per launcher the CAPEX cost per launch is $700,000 and recurring cost is $1.55 million. A total of $2.25 million to launch 225,000 lbs.

With an eight hour interval between launches, this fleet of three vehicles costs $6.75 million per day and costs $2.47 billion per year. The fleet operates over a 33 month period delivering 675 million pounds to LEO.

PAYLOADS

POWER SATELLITE

http://www.scribd.com/doc/130453929/Power-Satellite

A 225,000 pound inflatable concentrator with thin disk laser covers 543 acres of area and delivers 2.4 GW of usable laser energy to 24 ground stations simultaneously. Each station produces 100 MW continuously when illuminated using a fuel cell/electrolyzer setup to deliver between 50 MW and 200 MW of power on demand from stored hydrogen/oxygen made from stored water.

Customers are charged $0.11 per kWh which generates $77.1 million per year per station. A total of $18.5 billion over a ten year period. A 1 year's deposit is required to secure a position. This is a total of $1.85 billion per launch. Enough to cover all costs.

A dozen launches feeding 288 ground stations throughout the world, supported by the fleet of three generates $22.2 billion in deposits for 28.8 GW of pollution free operation. Enough to pay for development of the launch vehicle and supply chain.

The satellites are deployed in the first four days of operations and generates $22.2 billion per year. Each launch adds $1.85 billion per year to the annual revenue of the company. A launch rate of 3x per day adds $5.55 billion per year per day. In ten weeks 200 satellites generate 480 GW of power, sufficient to replace all the idled coal fired power plants on the planet, putting in place revenues of $370 billion

COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE

Telstar achieved point to point communications in the 1960s. NHK orbited the first direct broadcast satellite in the 1980s. In the 1990s Teledesic and Iridium attempted to create an on orbit satellite network that allowed anyone to speak to anyone else by satellite. This is the obvious next step.

A network of 800 satellites each 45,000 pounds are placed into sun synchronous polar orbit, five at a time by the proposed launcher. Each satellite is an orbiting telecommunications center. Each is equipped with six open optical laser beams that beam information at terahertz speeds to its nearest neighbor in space. Each is also equipped with a phased array link with the ground that allows it to create a virtual cell that is Doppler correct and stationary on the ground. In this way the world is converted into a wireless hotspot providing broadband everywhere all the time.

Fifty billion broadband channels are available at a cost of $1 per channel per month. This produces a revenue of $600 billion per year. These are deployed over a two month period over 175 launches at a cost (including satellite and wafer production plant for communications chip set) $40 billion.

LUNAR OPERATIONS

A hydrogen oxygen stage on orbit that masses 225,000 lbs consists of two stages. The first stage has an inert mass of 27,000 lbs and carries 107,677 lbs of hydrogen oxygen propellant. It boosts 90,323 lbs stage into a lunar insertion orbit. Both stages loop around the back side of the moon. The lunar insertion stage loops around the moon and returns to Earth, to be recovered and reused. The lunar stage burns 38,634 lbs to come to rest on the lunar surface. The inert mass of this stage is 5,400 lbs. Another 22,110 lbs of propellant remain on board to return to Earth. The useful load of this stage is 18,780 lbs is taken to the moon and returned to Earth. This is more than a fully fuelled ascent stage!

WET STAGE

A wet stage that delivers 40,890 lbs of materiel to the lunar surface one way, and uses the 2,500 cubic foot empty tank as add on to a habitat, in a method similar to that of the Skylab. Using inflatable habitat modules, very large systems - accessed via the wet stage are possible.

IN SITU FUEL PROCESSING

A smaller concentrating solar collector producing 400 MW primary collector is sent to the lunar surface to process water out of the soil to produce hydrogen and oxygen for fuel, oxygen for breathing, and hydrogen to reduce CO2 to CH4 and water again and then to plastics fertilizer and food.

LUNAR REFUELLING

Converting the wet stage to a refillable reusable stage allows the delivery of 40,890 lbs per flight. 22,110 lbs of propellant are produced from 3,554 gallons of found water on the moon using only 500 kW of power to break the water down into hydrogen and oxygen over a 7 day period. The vehicle is fully reused.

With one flight per day a total of 15 million pounds is delivered to the moon each year. A two week cycle time for the lunar ship translates to a fleet of fifteen moon ships to sustain this operation.

Payload supply chain is operated with 15% of the revenue from Power and Communications sales.


MARS OPERATIONS

The refillable lunar stage is launched toward a Mars transfer trajectory by the trans-lunar stage. The interplanetary stage is recovered. The Mars bound stage is fired and the empty tank used during transit to Mars when occupied. Automated stages fly to Mars and land along with occupied stages.

A dozen astronauts per tank enter suspended animation after deploying to the stage, and three are awakened prior to Mars arrival. They land near the supply stages and erect a Mars base using supplies there. Water is recovered and used to refuel the emptied supply ships using the sub-scale solar collector deployed. When the planets enter proper synodic relation, the crew returns in the supply ship, leaving the base, and most of the people behind. The vehicle flies back to Earth, re-enters, lands on Earth, and is refilled and reused.

With a six week transfer period every 2.15 years a fleet of 126 ships each carrying 12 people leave Earth. 1,512 people per flight. 1,134 to stay. 703 people per year - 575 per year to stay.

ASTEROID MINING

A 2.4 GW laser beam operating near an asteroid has the capacity to return 10,000 tons of refined materials per year over a 30 year period using a technique I developed and laser propulsion for the return vehicle.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/117734905/Lander-Digger-Dog

This is first developed for Earth crossing asteroids with the sub-scale power system described above. Then, it is developed for Main Belt Asteroids using the larger system used for power on Earth.

Laser energy is used to power MEMS based ion engines of very high efficiency to maintain attitude control in the power satellite. It is also used to boost the power satellite from LEO to GEO. In this application it is used to boost the power satellite to an orbit that matches an Earth crossing asteroid. Later, to travel to a main belt asteroid. Laser energy is also used to power laser propulsion systems on return capsules that energize waste materials to return valued materials.