Designing sustainable heavy lift launch vehicle architectures adaptability, lock-in, and system evolution

Long term human space exploration depends on the development of a sustainable heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV). But what exactly is sustainability in the context of launch systems and how can it addressed in the design process? A HLLV must balance myriad technical and programmatic factors such as performance, reliability, cost, geographical configuration, logistics and assembly, as well as in-space issues such as mass and manifesting requirements for Lunar and Mars missions, and rendezvous and docking capability. The problem is further complicated by uncertainties in demand and differing stakeholder incentives. The military significance of space launch creates security externalities that often constrain design; "standing armies" of technicians and operators throughout the country affect industry and political interests; and scientific goals are often at odds with all three. The multi-dimensional nature of the design problem suggests that sustainability is best addressed at the system architecture level, where direct links can be made between technical and non-technical aspects of system operation. This thesis examines the problem of designing sustainable heavy lift architectures in three ways: First, recent advances in systems architecture are synthesized as they apply to heavy lift launch.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Silver, Matthew Robin

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jeffrey Hoffman and Jaime Peraire.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.
• Technology and Policy Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34143
• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Identifier URI

http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34143

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/34143