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This study analyzes the role of a next-generation reusable launch vehicle (RLV) as a potential defense mobility platform for the future. RLV prototypes offer rapid transportation anywhere on the globe within one hour, with a significant cost reduction from today's $10,000 per pound to $1,000 per pound of cargo through space. Unfortunately, extremely complex and time-consuming infrastructure and ground handling requirements hinder the usefulness of the RLV in a military environment. Joint Vision 2020 (JV2020) outlines operational concepts that mold warfighting capabilities to achieve full spectrum dominance in the future. Two of the operational concepts, dominant maneuver and focused logistics, shape mobility requirements and are used to evaluate the need for a military RLV. This project seeks to answer the question: "Could the next-generation RLV be a viable tool to support JV2020's operational concepts of dominant maneuver and focused logistics?" Based on this analysis, current RLV prototypes do not meet the majority of criteria established by JV2020's dominant maneuver and focused logistics. However, if a military RLV were designed and produced specifically for defense transportation, it could potentially overcome the reliability and flexibility obstacles and become a key enabler toward full spectrum dominance.
The United States is embarked on a journey toward maturity as a spacefaring nation. One key step along the way is development of a reusable launch vehicle (RLV). The most recent National Space Transportation Policy (August 1994) assigned improvement and evolution of current expendable launch vehicles to the Department of Defense while National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA) is responsible for working with industry on demonstrating RLV technology. The purpose of this study is to help ensure the US military, especially the USAF, is prepared to take advantage of RLVs should the NASA-led effort to develop an RLV demonstrator prove successful. The focus of this study is an explanation of how the US military could use RLVs, by describing and analyzing two concepts of operations. Four major conclusions resulted from the analysis. First, RLVs have military potential. They can perform a variety of missions including responsive spacelift, reconnaissance, and strike. However, the economic feasibility of using RLVs for earth-to-earth transportation is questionable. Second, design choices for an operational RLV will have effects on risk, cost, capability, and operations efficiency. Trade-offs will have to be made between NASA, commercial, and military requirements if all three parties are to use the same fleet of RLVs. Third, increased investment in propulsion technology development is warranted to ensure success. Fourth, the top priority for the RLV program, even from the military's perspective, should remain cheap and responsive access to space. The research led to three recommendations. First, the US military should become a more active participant in the RLV program to ensure its requirements are defined and incorporated. Second, America should not pursue development of operational RLVs before the technology is ready.
In this paper, we will examine a configuration for a reusable military launch vehicle (RMLS) concept. This configuration allows for the vehicle to land in an inverted attitude. Such inverted landing improves the turnaround time of the vehicle by reducing the maintenance requirements of the vehicle's thermal protection system. An analysis is performed to examine the impacts by the configuration on stability, control, and footprint for an RMLS configuration.
As a result of technological progress, we are now on verge of developing cost-effective reusable launch vehicles (RLV) for space. This study reviews the strategic implications of the emerging vision within the U.S. Department of Defense for using these vehicles. Although the U.S. Air Force is making the transition to a force that relies increasingly on space, the best path does not necessarily involve replicating the traditional air missions in space. This study of potential missions for RLVs concludes that, while these are capable of numerous missions (e.g., reconnaissance, global strike, cargo and personnel transport), the most important mission for the immediate future for both the U.S. military and commercial firms is in the area of traditional spacelift. The two broad conclusions that emerge from this study are that the U.S. military should move away from the spacelift business by obtaining spacelift through commercially procured launch services, and second, that the U.S. military should not develop militarized RLVs that are designed to perform the traditional air operations in space.
The US military must think creatively to exploit potentially useful developing technologies in the pursuit of national security. Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) are currently under cooperative development by NASA, the Air Force, and the aerospace industry in the pursuit of assured commercial and national access to space. The transportation elements of DoD (Air Mobility Command and USTRANSCOM) have the opportunity to exploit these rapid transit technologies to advance 'Global Reach for America.' The SSTO RLV is a single stage rocket that will be completely reusable, similar to an aircraft, yet deliver a C-130 size cargo anywhere on the planet in less than one hour. Industry, Air Force, and NASA sources were investigated to assess the projected capabilities and costs of the SSTO system. This paper reviews the proposed capabilities of the SSTO system, discusses the current status of the development and test program, compares the proposed capabilities with current DoD and commercial transportation modes and costs, and recommends that Air Mobility Command, as airlift agent for USTRANSCOM and DoD as a whole, should pursue development and limited acquisition of SSTO RLVs for use as airlift platforms.
Currently, the Air Force launches military satellites on expendable launch vehicles to low earth orbit (LEO), and with the use of a chemical upper stage or an apogee kick motor, moves the satellite to a higher orbit. This launch procedure is extremely costly because it requires additional launch preparations, technology considerations, equipment, and fuel. Also, the additional mass of the chemical upper stage causes a larger, and thus more expensive, launch vehicle to be required. An economical alternative is to utilize reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) and reusable orbital launch vehicles (ROTVs). This concept could possibly achieve even greater savings if satellites were dual manifested on the launch vehicles. This thesis determines - by varying mass capacity of RLVs, the cost per kg of RLV mass capacity, and the satellite cost per kg - when, within a given scenario, the savings of dual manifesting is at least ten percent of the cost of single manifesting by developing a dual manifesting algorithm and simulation to analyze possible savings.