101 Future launch vehicles (Orbital and planetary launch services)
Description
This article is from the Space FAQ, by Jon Leech leech@cs.unc.edu and Mark Bradford tla@surly.org with numerous contributions by others.
101 Future launch vehicles (Orbital and planetary launch services)
A large number of new vehicles are on the drawing boards of aerospace
companies around the world. The following entries describe some of the more
serious ventures. Plus signs mark those vehicles which seem most likely to
make it off the launch pad. In some cases, recently defunct ventures are
listed for information purposes. These are marked with an X. Information
on other launch vehicle programs or further details on those listed below
is welcome.
X AMROC/Aquila (United States)
A company called American Rocket, or AMROC has been working on
developing hybrid rocket motors for launch vehicles for over ten years,
and at one time looked like it might be the first small launcher on the
market. The most recent configurations went by the name Aquila.
Unfortunately, AMROC went bankrupt in the summer of 1995.
+ Angara (Russia)
Russia plans to develop an all new heavy launch vehicle, perhaps to
replace the Zenit, which is manufactured in the Ukraine. The Russians
emphasize that Angara will use only environmentally clean propellants,
unlike the Proton, which uses nitrogen tetroxide and UDMH. The vehicle
is planned to come online around 2001 or so, and carry 26 tons to LEO
and 4.5 tons to GEO. That would make it slightly larger than Proton.
Krunichev, the manufacturer, has suggested that the first stage might
eventually be made reusable. The first stage engine will be an RD-174,
which is derived from the RD-170 Zenit engine. The second stage engine
will be derived from the Proton upper stage.
Aussroc (Australia)
Aussroc is a proposed derivative of small indigenous sounding
rockets currently being test fired. The last sounding rocket test
failed. The current development program is a mix of university,
government and industry work. An orbital launch vehicle is probably
at least ten years away.
Burlak/Diana (Russia/Germany)
Burlak is a proposed air launched, liquid propellant booster
somewhat larger than Pegasus. Payload figures suggest performance
of roughly 1000 kg to LEO, and roughly 600 kg to a 700 km polar orbit.
Burlak would be launched from beneath a Tu-160 Blackjack bomber.
Some financial support has been received from DARA (the German space
agency) and OHB System GmbH, a German firm. Estimated launch cost is
around $5 million.
Capricornio (Spain)
Capricornio is a Spanish project to build a launcher for 100 kg
class satellites to be launched from the Canary Islands. First launch
is scheduled for 1997 or 1998. Total budget for development through
first flight is $32 million dollars. Earlier information suggested this
program had been cancelled in favor of launching the Spanish
minisatellite on Pegasus. However, the program appears to have been
revived.
Eagle (United States)
E'Prime Aerospace has proposed a small launcher based on MX missile
solid rocket motors. They have received permission from the US
government for use of the motors. Little recent information is
available.
+ EELV - Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (United States)
The US Air Force has the responsibility for funding development of
US government ELV programs; EELV is their answer. The idea is to spend
$2 billion to develop a family of vehicles which can launch all military
spacecraft. Theoretically, the consolidation would mean high flight
rates for one vehicle type, thus lowering unit costs. Currently four
teams are designing vehicles under contracts worth $30 million each.
Boeing leads a team which proposes a semi-reusable vehicle with an
SSME-powered core and strap on solid boosters. Alliant Tech Systems
(which bought Hercules) proposes a family of solid launchers, with an
Arian V core thrown in for heavy lift missions. McDonnell Douglas is
proposing modified versions of its Delta vehicles. No concrete
information on Lockheed Martin's plans is available. The next design
phase starts with a downselect to two teams in 1996.
ESA/CNES small launchers (Europe)
ESA and the French space agency CNES have considered all manner
of small launchers, be they solid or liquid, air launched or ground
launched. Proposals have included derivatives of Ariane, various
national missile programs, or Russian vehicles like Soyuz. The current
study project is the European Small Launcher (ESL), an all solid vehicle
which could launch one ton into a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit for $20
million. The decision on whether or not to pursue the project will
be made by the end of 1995. In the past, no small launch vehicle
has ever made it beyond the study phase. Arianespace Chairman
Charles Bigot said at the 1995 Paris Air Show "In the near future
Arianespace has no reason to enter the market of lightsat launches with
a specific launcher." Given this attitude and the very tight budgets
at European space agencies, it is unlikely that Europe will field a
multinational small launcher before the end of the millenium. Programs
in Spain and Italy and joint ventures with Russian firms offer the
best hope for European small launch capability.
Italian small launchers (Italy)
A variety of small launch vehicles have been studied and tested
by the Italian space agency, University of Rome, and Italian aerospace
firms. Generally the vehicles are derived from Scout components, since
Italy has experience launching Scout rockets from their San Marco
platform off the coast of Kenya. Various projects have gone by the
names Vega, Zefiro, San Marco Scout, Advanced Scout, etc. Italy clearly
has a strong interest in a small solid vehicle, but has not yet been
able to convert that to a steady development program, due in part to
instability in the government.
Kistler K-1 (United States)
Kistler is a new aerospace company, which plans to use private funds
to develop an all reusable, two stage small launch vehicle. Tests of
hardware for the K-0, a subscale engineering test vehicle, have been
conducted. The Kistler fleet would include the K-1, with a payload
of 2000 pounds to LEO starting around the turn of the century, and
the K-2 which would carry 6000 pounds a starting a few years later.
Eventually, Kistler would like to build the K-3, which could launch
20,000 lbs. The company is releasing little public information, and
management and engineering shakeups have been occuring, which
could affect the design and timeline for the fleet. For more information,
see the Kistler homepage at
http://www.newspace.com/Industry/Kistler/home.html.
X OrbEx (United States)
CTA had a contract with BMDO for a launch on a small "ORBital
EXpress" vehicle. However, that contract has been cancelled, and
CTA has put the project on indefinate hold because of a glut of small
launchers.
+ PacAstro (United States)
PacAstro now has at least three contracts; customers include KITcom
of Australia which plans to launch satellites similar to Orbcomm, and
the Swedish Space Corp. Much of the technology will be developed under
contract with US Air Force for a sounding rocket dubbed PA-X. The PA-2
will carry 340 kg (750 lbs) to LEO or 225 kg (500 lbs) to a polar orbit
for $6 million dollars. This entry will probably be updated and moved
into Section 2 during the next FAQ revision. Meanwhile, check out the
web site at http://www.newspace.com/AeroAstro/AA-projects.html#2.6.
+ Rockot (Russia/Germany)
Rokot is a three stage liquid propellant launch system developed in
Russia and funded in part by German companies. It will be marketed
by Eurockot Launch Services GmbH. Rockot is derived from the SS-19 ICBM
with an aditional upper stage, and should be able to put about 1800
kg into low orbits. Sources disagree on the schedule for the first
launch.
+ Russian small launchers (Russia)
A large number of new small launch vehicles are being designed in
Russia. They are usually derived from ICBMs or SLBMs, though some
are developed around existing space launch components. They differ
widely in the level of "reality." Some have financial and
institutional backing and even customers, while other proposals are
probably just trial balloons floated by hopeful rocket engineers. The
trick is figuring out which is which. A brief summary of the more
viable-seeming plans:
Riksha-1: Under development at NPO Energomash, to launch 1.7 tons to
LEO for $10 million starting around 1999. Propellants would be LOX and
liquified natural gas.
Surf: Sea-launched vehicle derived from the SSN-23 and SSN-20
submarine ballistic missiles. Five, count'em five, stages.
Demonstration launch planned soon. Managed by Sea Launch Investors,
a joint US-Russian company. Payload of roughly two tons to LEO.
Volna, Vysota, Shtil: More SLBM derivatives.
Space Clipper: Air launched version of SS-24. Technically, this is a
Ukraine venture, since the manufacturer is NPO Yuzhone.
Rockot, Burlak, Start: Rockot and Burlak both have German backing,
so they've been given their own entries above. Start actually has a
flight history, and is therefore listed in Section 2 as a currently
operational launch vehicle (though unfortuantely I still don't have much
data on it).
Scorpius/Liberty (United Sates)
Microcosm Inc. of Torrance, CA has recently tested small (5000 lbf)
pressure fed, ablative cooled rocket engines powered by LOX/Kerosene.
They propose clustering 49 of these engines in seven side-by-side pods
to create a rocket which can launch 2.2 tons to orbit for $1.7 million.
Flight tests of sounding rockets testing some components are being
considered for 1997. (See Av. Week, Sept 25, 1995, p 103)
Seagull (Russia/Australia)
Russian organizations and the Australian Space Office are discussing
a project to co-produce a liquid-fueled space launcher with a capacity
of about one ton into low orbit. The vehicle would be a new design,
though it would use a number of existing components. Launch would take
place either from Woomera or a site on the northeast coast of Australia.
+ VLS (Brazil)
The VLS has been a long standing goal of the Agencia Espacial
Brasileria and a major part of the Brazilian Complete Space Misson (MECB).
The launcher is derived from the Sonda IV sounding rocket and is
currently designed to put 185 kg into a 750 km orbit. First launch
is currently planned for 1996 or 1997 from Brazil's Alcantara range,
which is located about as close to the Equator as a launch site can get.
However, the VLS first launch has been pushed back several times in the
past, so that date should not be considered firm. Budget cuts and
conflicts with the US over missile technology export controls have
delayed the program previously.
+ X-34 (United States)
X-34 would be a semi-reusable vehicle, with development funded
in part by a $70 million contract with NASA. The project is managed
by OSC and Rockwell, which are spending a total of $100 million on
the project. Current plans are for the vehicle to be carried atop
a NASA 747 shuttle transporter and launched at altitude. The vehicle
would reach roughly half of orbital velocity and eject a satellite with
an expendable upper stage to reach orbit. Estimated price is around
$4 million per launch. First flight is planned for 1998 or 1999.
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