8 element reusable launch vehicle built for profit and operated withprofits

http://www.astronautix.com/craft/bonhicle.htm

This is still an interesting opportunity.


Seven 500 metric ton flight elements that carry 440 metric tons of
liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. There is also a 300 metric ton
orbital element atop the central stage.


Each has an annular aerospike engine at the base, powered by three
Pratt&Whitney RS-68 pumpsets - that feed the annular engine.


http://www.astronautix.com/engines/rs68.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/engines/aeroster.htm


The average specific impulse of these engines through their ascent is
435 seconds. The elements are equipped with plumbing (like the
Shuttle ET) for cross-feeding propellant. So, all 7 engine sets are
firing at lift-off. Four of the six outer tanks are emptied first.
This accelerates the spacecraft to 2,657 m/sec (less gravity drag and
air drag losses)


The after burning 1760 metric tons of propellent, the four empty
elements are dropped, and they slow to subsonic speed as they re-
enter
the atmosphere. They are guided by a GPS system, to close with a
targeted recovery plane very similar to a JDAM bomb. There are four
recovery planes at the recovery points downrange from the launch
center. When the elements are within a specified range of their
targeted aircraft, they deploy cruise missile fashion, foldaway
winglets, and slow their descent to zero, and their air speed to
match
that of the recovery aircraft and the direction of the recovery
aircraft, just ahead and above the recovery aircraft. The rocket
elements then drop a recovery line, very similar to the way KH-1
satellites had their film cannisters recovered and slow their speed
further. A tow line from the targeted tow plane is dropped, and the
recovery aircraft accelerates and climbs so that its tow line engages
the recovery line. The winged rocket elements are then air-towed
back
to the launch center and released by each of their recovery planes.
All elements are recovered and reused in this way.


http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/space/lectures/lec09.html


Meanwhile, at the launch vehicle, three of the seven elements
continue
to orbit, along with the 300 ton orbital element. The plumbing is
such that the two outboard elements are drained while all three
engines continue to fire. The 880 metric tons of propellant are
emptied and another 2,867 meters per second are added to the velocity
of the vehicle. This brings the total to 5,524 m/sec - less air drag
and gravity drag losses. The two outboard elements once emptied are
dropped, re-enter, and close with their targeted recovery planes, are
caught and air-towed back to the launch center.


The remaining 500 metric ton booster, with its 300 metric ton
orbiter,
in line, continue onward. The last element burns 440 metric tons of
propellant, and adds another 3,411 m/sec to the vehicle's velocity,
bringing it to 8,935 m/sec total speed - less air drag losses and
gravity losses of approximately 1,935 m/sec. Thus the final speed of
the vehicle is 7 km/sec. nearly orbital speed.


The last booster drops away, and continues on a single suborbital
flight around the Earth, which brings it back within gliding range of
the launch center in 84 minutes after launch - very similar to the
Saenger Antipodal Bomber flight path


http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/saenger.htm


At apogee, the 300 metric ton orbital element burns 30 metric tons of
propellant to circularize its orbit. It carries up to 220 metric
tons
of active payload,45 metric tons of propellant, and has 35 metric ton
structure. It operates unpiloted, but can carry a 200 metric ton
piloted insert in its cargo bay, which carries up to 65 people, along
with supplies. Its volume is large enough that it can carry an
additional 200 metric tons of propellant and 20 ton payload for
interplanetary operations. It can also carry 100 metric tons of
propellant and 120 tons payload for cislunar operations.


The orbital element is based on the HL-10 lifting body, and is built
with advanced composite materials, and linear aerospike, used for the
SSTO program. While not achieving the low structural fraction of
that
program, it does have quite a respectible performance. With modern
avionics and computing technology, combined with advanced GPS
hardware
(that can position the vehicle accurately in space ANYWHERE within
1million km of Earth) the vehicle provides a capable low-cost access
to space.


http://www.astronautix.com/project/nasgbody.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/engines/l2loster.htm


The 300 metric ton lifting body can be replaced with an expendable
booster stage, wherein the linear aerospike and pumpset alone is
equipped with thermal protection system for recovery of the high
value
components. Alternatively, a modified Centaur stage, with RL10
engines, is used for high mass missions.


220 metric tons is twice the lifting capacity of the Saturn V moon
rocket. 500 metric ton flight elements, containing liquid oxygen and
liquid hydrogen propellants, are 2/3 the mass of the Shuttle's
external tanks. The P&W RS68 engine set is modified for use as a
component in an aerospike engine. The linear aerospike and composite
technology, used for the SSTO program, is simply adapted to build
these low-cost reusable airframes. Advanced avionics, computing
technology, and GPS is used in innovative ways to create a flexible
low cost fully reusable space vehicle.


The vehicle is large enough to deploy a Mars Direct Vehicle each
launch to implement Zubrin's plan to colonize the Red Planet.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Return_Vehicle
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/marirect.htm


I have spoken elsewhere about the ability of this vehicle to orbit a
660 satellite network to provide global wireless internet for all of
Earth, and through this medium, provide banking, insurance, and other
services to improve life on Earth. 28 elements, comprising four
vehicles - 3 flight vehicles and 1 spare - are included in that
program. Once all 660 satellite are operational, within 18 months
after first flight - $50 billion per year - more than NASA's annual
budget is available to the operators of the satellite network, to
develop payloads and upgrades for the vehicles.


The cost of each flight
Experimentation with solar power satellites, both Earth orbiting and
Sun orbiting, as well as space tourism, to orbit, return to the moon,
and space colonization, of the moon and mars, are all possible with
this game plan.


Solar power satellites massing 250 tons each, put into GEO with a 250
ton expendable kick stage, provides a power sat capable of beaming 1
GW or more of IR laser energy to solar power arrays on Earth.


At $6,000 per metric ton for hydrogen and $2,100 per metric ton for
liquid oxygen (delivered inside the vehicle) - propellant costs are
$9
million per launch. Infrastructure and prep costs are another $3
million. Recovery of each stage and refurbishment, is $18 million.
This is a total of $30 million. Payload is 300 metric tons - this is
$100 per kg launch costs.


Expendable kick stages cost $20 million per flight.


The infrastructure that builds the commercial satellite network,
allows aerospace costs to drop to double that found in the aircraft
industry. A Boeing 777 costs $200 million and masses 140 metric
tons. That's $1,500 per kg. Three times this figure is $3,000 per
kg. That's $30 million for a 10 ton satellite. 22 of them in a
coplanar orbit cost $660 million per launch. The launch cost itself
is a small fraction of the total cost.


Each element masses 60 metric tons empty, and the orbital element
masses 35 metric tons empty. This is $180 million per element, and
$105 million for the orbiter. All 8 elements together comprise a
$1.365 billion vehicle. With the ability to launch reliably 150
times
before a major rebuild, and with 0.5% refurb cost, the hardware cost
per launch is $9.1 million and $6.85 million respectively - a total
of
$15.95 million - another $2 million for downrange recovery
operations.


A $5.5 billion development program, along with another $2.5 billion
infrastructure build out - creates the ability to loft over 200
metric
tons to Earth orbit, every two weeks. A global wireless internet
earning $50 billion per year in profits after taxes, provides the
money to build the $300 million per week in payloads to keep these
vehicles busy at a flight rate of once every 2 weeks. In fact, the
profits of nearly $1 billion per year from the satellite network (see
my post on the satellite system) provides money to deploy significant
payloads AND add the cost of deep space operations as well. (not
only
deploying a mars base, or a lunar city, but funding its operation
until profitability is achieved)