NASA Advanced Air Mobility Vehicle Research
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Prospects for advanced rocket-powered launch vehicles
The potential for advanced rocket-powered launch vehicles to meet the challenging cost, operational, and performance demands of space transportation in the early 21st century is examined. Space transportation requirements from recent studies underscoring the need for growth in capacity in support of an increasing diversity of space activities and the need for significant reductions in operational and life-cycle costs are reviewed. Fully reusable rocket powered concepts based on moderate levels of evolutionary advanced technology are described. These vehicles provide a broad range of attractive concept alternatives with the potential to meet demanding operational and cost goals and the flexibility to satisfy a variety of vehicle architecture, mission, vehicle concept, and technology options.
Eldred, C. H.↗
Aeroassisted manned transfer vehicle (TAXI) for advanced Mars Transportation: NASA/USRA 1987 Senior Design Project
A conceptual design study of an aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicle is discussed. Nicknamed TAXI, it will ferry personnel and cargo: (1) between low Earth orbit and a spacecraft circling around the Sun in permanent orbit intersecting gravitational fields of Earth and Mars, and (2) between the cycling spacecraft and a Mars orbiting station, co-orbiting with Phobos. Crew safety and mission flexibility (in terms of ability to provide a wide range of delta-V) were given high priority. Three versions were considered, using the same overall configuration based on a low L/D aerobrake with the geometry of a raked off elliptical cone with ellipsoidal nose and a toroidal skirt. The propulsion system consists of three gimballed LOX/LH2 engines firing away from the aerobrake. The versions differ mainly in the size of the aeroshields and propellant tanks. TAXI A version resulted from an initial effort to design a single transfer vehicle able to meet all delta-V requirements during the 15-year period (2025 to 2040) of Mars mission operations. TAXI B is designed to function with the cycling spacecraft moving in a simplified, nominal trajectory. On Mars missions, TAXI B would be able to meet the requirements of all the missions with a relative approach velocity near Mars of less than 9.3 km/sec. Finally, TAXI C is a revision of TAXI A, a transfer vehicle designed for missions with a relative velocity near Mars larger than 9.3 km/sec. All versions carry a crew of 9 (11 with modifications) and a cargo of 10000 lbm. Trip duration varies from 1 day for transfer from LEO to the cycling ship to nearly 5 days for transfer from the ship to the Phobos orbit.
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Robust flight design for an advanced launch system vehicle
Current launch vehicle trajectory design philosophies are generally based on maximizing payload capability. This approach results in an expensive trajectory design process for each mission. Two concepts of robust flight design have been developed to significantly reduce this cost: Standardized Trajectories and Command Multiplier Steering (CMS). These concepts were analyzed for an Advanced Launch System (ALS) vehicle, although their applicability is not restricted to any particular vehicle. Preliminary analysis has demonstrated the feasibility of these concepts at minimal loss in payload capability.
Dhand, Sanjeev K.↗
Enabling Ultra-Compact, Lightweight, Efficient, and Reliable 6.6 kW On-Board Bi-Directional Electric Vehicle Charger with Advanced Topology and Control
The research explored new topologies, control methods, mechanical integration, and thermal management methods for electric vehicle (EV) on-board chargers. The team investigated capacitor-based power conversion, leveraging the high energy densities inherent to capacitive energy storage compared to inductive methods. The proposed topologies simultaneously enabled high power density and high efficiency of the design. The proposed architecture was demonstrated in a 6.6 kW bi-directional charger prototype. The research pursued several directions to improve system performance. Innovative topologies were studied for both the main power conversion stage as well as the single-phase twice-line-frequency energy buffer. To ensure robust and efficient operation, new control methods were developed to integrate these two subsystems. To achieve high power density in the full system solution, the mechanical structure of the charger is highly optimized to maximally fill the converter box volume. In parallel with the mechanical design effort, the converter was packaged with high-performance cooling methods which removed heat from key areas of power dissipation in the converter. The thermal management system was optimized to minimize its weight and volume, ultimately motivating the design of a custom additively manufactured cold-plate. The full system achieves a peak power of 7 kW with less than 0.3% total harmonic distortion (THD) and greater than 0.994 power factor in power factor correction (PFC) operation, corresponding to a total box-volume power density of 47.9 kW/L and gravimetric power density of 24.6 W/g. The system achieves a peak efficiency of 98.9%, with 97.9% efficiency at maximum power.
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
Mars Lander/Rover vehicle development: An advanced space design project for USRA and NASA/OAST
The results of the studies on one particular part of the Mars Lander/Rover (MLR) system are contained: the Balloon Rover. This component vehicle was selected for further research and design because of the lack of technical literature on this subject, as compared to surface rover technology. Landing site selection; balloon system development and deployment; optics and communications; and the payload power supply are described.
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Biconic cargo return vehicle with an advanced recovery system
The current space exploration initiative is focused around the development of the Space Station Freedom (SSF). Regular resupply missions must support a full crew on the station. The present mission capability of the shuttle is insufficient, making it necessary to find an alternative. One alternative is a reusable Cargo Return Vehicle (CRV). The suggested design is a biconic shaped, dry land recovery CRV with an advance recovery system (ARC). A liquid rocket booster will insert the CRV into a low Earth orbit. Three onboard liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engines are used to reach the orbit of the station. The CRV will dock to the station and cargo exchange will take place. Within the command and control zone (CCZ), the CRV will be controlled by a gaseous nitrogen reaction control system (RCS). The CRV will have the capability to exchange the payload with the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV). The bent biconic shape will give the CRV sufficient crossrange to reach Edwards Air Force Base and several alternative sites. Near the landing site, a parafoil-shaped ARS is deployed. The CRV is designed to carry a payload of 40 klb, and has an unloaded weight of 35 klb.
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Remotely piloted research vehicle evaluation of advanced control system effects on spins
Special functions of an advanced control system were investigated for effects on spin entries and recoveries utilizing a 3/8-scale model of the F-15 airplane as a remotely piloted research vehicle (RPRV). Telemetry uplinks and downlinks were used with a ground-based digital computer to mechanize the RPRV control system for spin tests in flight. Results from the model RPRV flight tests and from a real time digital spin simulation were used to evaluate the F-15 stall inhibiter and an automatic spin recovery system developed for the RPRV model
Petersen, K. L.↗
Integration of Advanced Concepts and Vehicles Into the Next Generation Air Transportation System: Introduction, Key Messages, and Vehicle Attributes - Volume 1
Raytheon, in partnership with NASA, is leading the way in ensuring that the future air transportation continues to be a key driver of economic growth and stability and that this system provides an environmentally friendly, safe, and effective means of moving people and goods. A Raytheon-led team of industry and academic experts, under NASA contract NNA08BA47C, looked at the potential issues and impact of introducing four new classes of advanced aircraft into the next generation air transportation system -- known as NextGen. The study will help determine where NASA should further invest in research to support the safe introduction of these new air vehicles. Small uncrewed or unmanned aerial systems (SUAS), super heavy transports (SHT) including hybrid wing body versions (HWB), very light jets (VLJ), and supersonic business jets (SSBJ) are the four classes of aircraft that we studied. Understanding each vehicle's business purpose and strategy is critical to assessing the feasibility of new aircraft operations and their impact on NextGen's architecture. The Raytheon team used scenarios created by aviation experts that depict vehicles in year 2025 operations along with scripts or use cases to understand the issues presented by these new types of vehicles. The information was then mapped into the Joint Planning and Development Office's (JPDO s) Enterprise Architecture to show how the vehicles will fit into NextGen's Concept of Operations. The team also identified significant changes to the JPDO's Integrated Work Plan (IWP) to optimize the NextGen vision for these vehicles. Using a proven enterprise architecture approach and the JPDO s Joint Planning Environment (JPE) web site helped make the leap from architecture to planning efficient, manageable and achievable. Very Light Jets flying into busy hub airports -- Supersonic Business Jets needing to climb and descend rapidly to achieve the necessary altitude Super-heavy cargo planes requiring the shortest common flight path -- are just a few of the potential new operations in the future National Airspace System. To assess the impact of these new scenarios on overall national airspace operations, the Raytheon team used the capabilities of a suite of tools such as NASA's Airspace Concepts Evaluation System (ACES), the Flight Optimization System (FLOPS), FAA's Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT), Intelligent Automations Kinematic Trajectory Generator (KTG) and the Aviation Safety Risk Model (ASRM). Detailed metroplex modeling, surface delay models for super heavy transports, prioritized routing and corridors for supersonics business jets, and VLJ demand models are some of the models developed by the Raytheon team to study the effect of operating these new vehicles in the future NAS. Using this suite of models, several trade studies were conducted to evaluate these effects in terms of delays, equity in access, safety, and the environment. Looking at the impact of each vehicle, a number of critical issues were identified. The Raytheon team concluded that strict compliance to NextGen's 4-dimensional trajectory (4DT) management will be required to accommodate these vehicles unique operations and increased number of flights in the future air space system. The next section provides a discussion of this and the other key findings from our study.
Zellweger, Andres↗
Electric Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Attributes and Development
Although more established for light-duty vehicles (LDVs), advancements in electric vehicle (EV) charging technology are being made in the medium- and heavy-duty (MD/HD) sector. Progress is also being made with the electrification of MD/HD vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, MD trucks, and HD trucks. The diverse set of operational requirements and duty cycles for each vocation, as well as the range in the size of fleets, present unique charging and infrastructure requirements. This report focuses on charging requirements for MD/HD vehicles and synergies with LDV infrastructure. This analysis leans toward the qualitative rather than quantitative because relevant model inputs are in development and will not be established for a few years, as EV deployments are more mature in the LDV sectors than MD/HD. The report begins with an overview of MD/HD vehicle classes and types of charging, including depot and residential charging, among others (Section 2). Section 3 analyzes the home bases (overnight dwell locations) of existing MD/HD vehicles, with an emphasis on depot and residential home bases, and discusses implications for charging infrastructure. Section 4 discusses the key characteristics for determining if, when, and where MD/HD vehicles can leverage LDV charging infrastructure rather than requiring dedicated chargers. These considerations include electricity demand, connectors, physical space requirements, payment considerations, and impacts on the grid. Section 5 summarizes shared characteristics for MD/HD vehicles that are appropriate for near-term electrification and includes a summary of the outlook of the electric MD/HD vehicle market. The conclusion (Section 6) summarizes the report's findings and outlines areas for future research.
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
Mars Lander/Rover vehicle development: An advanced space design project for USRA and NASA/OAST
The accomplishments of the Utah State University (USU) Mars Lander/Rover (MLR) design class during the Winter Quarter are delineated and explained. Environment and trajectory, ground systems, balloon system, and payload system are described. Results from this effort will provide a valid and useful basis for further studies of Mars exploratory vehicles.
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How to build an antimatter rocket for interstellar missions - systems level considerations in designing advanced propulsion technology vehicles
This paper discusses the general mission requirements and system technologies that would be required to implement an antimatter propulsion system where a magnetic nozzle is used to direct charged particles to produce thrust.
advanced propulsion↗
Propulsion issues for advanced orbit transfer vehicles
Studies of the United States Space Transportation System show that in the mid to late 1990s expanded capabilities for orbital transfer vehicles (OTV) will be needed to meet increased payload requirements for transporting materials and possibly men to geosynchronous orbit. Discussion and observations relative to the propulsion system issues of space basing, aeroassist compatibility, man ratability and enhanced payload delivery capability are presented. These issues will require resolution prior to the development of a propulsion system for the advanced OTV. The NASA program in support of advanced propulsion for an OTV is briefly described along with conceptual engine design characteristics.
Cooper, L. P.↗
Application of advanced multidisciplinary analysis and optimization methods to vehicle design synthesis
Advanced multidisciplinary analysis and optimization methods, namely system sensitivity analysis and non-hierarchical system decomposition, are applied to reduce the cost and improve the visibility of an automated vehicle design synthesis process. This process is inherently complex due to the large number of functional disciplines and associated interdisciplinary couplings. Recent developments in system sensitivity analysis as applied to complex non-hierarchic multidisciplinary design optimization problems enable the decomposition of these complex interactions into sub-processes that can be evaluated in parallel. The application of these techniques results in significant cost, accuracy, and visibility benefits for the entire design synthesis process.
Consoli, Robert David↗
Advanced information processing system for advanced launch system: Avionics architecture synthesis
The Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) is a fault-tolerant distributed computer system architecture that was developed to meet the real time computational needs of advanced aerospace vehicles. One such vehicle is the Advanced Launch System (ALS) being developed jointly by NASA and the Department of Defense to launch heavy payloads into low earth orbit at one tenth the cost (per pound of payload) of the current launch vehicles. An avionics architecture that utilizes the AIPS hardware and software building blocks was synthesized for ALS. The AIPS for ALS architecture synthesis process starting with the ALS mission requirements and ending with an analysis of the candidate ALS avionics architecture is described.
Lala, Jaynarayan H.↗
Atmospheric Ascent Guidance for Rocket-Powered Launch Vehicles
An advanced ascent guidance algorithm for rocket- powered launch vehicles is developed. This algorithm cyclically solves the calculus-of-variations two-point boundary-value problem starting at vertical rise completion through main engine cutoff. This is different from traditional ascent guidance algorithms which operate in a simple open-loop mode until high dynamic pressure (including the critical max-Q) portion of the trajectory is over, at which time guidance operates under the assumption of negligible aerodynamic acceleration (i.e., vacuum dynamics). The initial costate guess is corrected based on errors in the terminal state constraints and the transversality conditions. Judicious approximations are made to reduce the order and complexity of the state/costate system. Results comparing guided launch vehicle trajectories with POST open-loop trajectories are given verifying the basic formulation of the algorithm. Multiple shooting is shown to be a very effective numerical technique for this application. In particular, just one intermediate shooting point, in addition to the initial shooting point, is sufficient to significantly reduce sensitivity to the guessed initial costates. Simulation results from a high-fidelity trajectory simulation are given for the case of launch to sub-orbital cutoff conditions as well as launch to orbit conditions. An abort to downrange landing site formulation of the algorithm is presented.
Dukeman, Greg A.↗
Guidelines for advanced manned space vehicle program, June 1960
A very broad mission objective was established; i.e., manned circumlunar flight and return to earth. It is implicit that the Saturn will be the primary propulsion system for this mission. The following attempts to: (1) define the objective so as to achieve as much capability in the vehicle as possible; (2) draw on Mercury experience to provide broad guidelines for vehicle performance and safety; (3) provide flexibility in the vehicle capability in the event that the manned lunar mission is proved to be subject to unacceptable risk in the target time period; and (4) indicate problem areas where work appears to be particularly needed.
Gilruth, R. R.↗
Liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen boost/vane pump for the advanced orbit transfer vehicles auxiliary propulsion system
A rotating, positive displacement vane pump with an integral boost stage was designed to pump saturated liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for auxiliary propulsion system of orbit transfer vehicle. This unit is designed to ingest 10% vapor by volume, contamination free liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The final pump configuration and the predicted performance are included.
Gluzek, F.↗