Image credit: Grumman
Image source: Cradle of Aviation Museum
External Tank Station
Category: Space Station
Charles Bennett
Image credit: NASA
Image source: Cradle of Aviation Museum
National Archives Collection
SPS Space Transportation
Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV)
The reference HLLV is a two-stage, vertical takeoff, horizontal landing (VTOHL), fully reusable winged launch vehicle. The launch configuration and overall geometry are detailed in Figure 1. The vehicle uses sixteen CH4/02 engines on the booster (first stage) and 14 standard SSME’S on the orbiter (second stage). The booster engines employ a gas generator cycle and provide a vacuum thrust of 9.79X1O6 newtons each. The orbiter SMME’s provide a thrust of 2.O9x1O6 newtons each at 100% power level. The gross liftoff weight of the HLLV is 11,040 metric tons with a payload to LEO of 424 metric tonnes.
Personnel Launch Vehicle (PLV)
The PLV provides for the transportation of personnel and priority cargo between Earth and low orbit. The reference vehicle is derived from the current Space Shuttle system. It incorporates a winged fly-back booster instead of the solid rocket boosters and has a personnel compartment in the orbiter payload bay capable of transporting 75 passengers. The overall configuration and vehicle characteristics are shown in Figure 2. The passenger module is also shown in the figure.
Personnel Orbital Transfer Vehicle (POTV)
The functions of the POTV are to deliver personnel and cargo from LEO to GEO and to return personnel from GEO to LEO. The reference vehicle is a two-stage (common stage) LO2/LH2 configuration as illustrated in Figure 3.
Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV)
Personnel Orbital Transfer Vehicle (POTV)
As previously stated, the reference POTV concept utilized a two (common) stage propulsive element to transport crew and crew supplies and priority cargo to GEO. The stages are fueled in LEO and are capable of a roundtrip mission.
Earth-to-Orbit Systems
A PB/VTO/HL HLLV configuration is shown in Figure 1.2-1 in the launch. configuration. As shown, both stages have common body diameter, wing and vertical stabilizer; however, the overall length of the second stage (orbiter)is approximately 5 m greater than the first stage (booster). The vehicle gross lift off weight (GLOW) is 7.14 million kg with a payload capability of 230,000 kg to the referenced earth orbit.
An alternate (smaller payload) configuration of more conservative design (i.e, more closely resembling the STS configuration) is depicted in the launch configuration, Figure 1.4-1. This configuration was adopted to permit the use of documented STS aerodynamic and performance data to address certain specific technical issues relative to VTO/HL vehicle concepts.
Image credit: NASA
File source: NASA NTRS
Initial SOC Configuration
Image credit: NASA
Image source: NASA NTRS
SOC Concept Analysis
Image credit: NASA
Image source: NASA NTRS
Boeing SOC
Image credit: Boeing
Image source: National Archives
255-GRC-1983-C-02122
Image credit: Boeing
Image source: National Archives
255-GRC-1989-C-03670
Image credit: Rockwell International
Image source: National Archives
Fred
Image credit: NASA LRC
Image source: National Archives
Death Star
Mission 2
This illustration depicts the configuration of the Spacelab-2 in the cargo bay of the orbiter. Spacelab was a versatile laboratory carried in the Space Shuttle’s cargo bay for scientific research flights. Each Spacelab mission had a unique design appropriate to the mission’s goals. A number of Spacelab configurations could be assembled from pressurized habitation modules and exposed platforms called pallets. Spacelab-2 was the first pallet-only mission. One of the goals of the mission was to verify that the pallets’ configuration was satisfactory for observations and research. Except for two biological experiments and an experiment that used ground-based instruments, the Spacelab-2 scientific instruments needed direct exposure to space. On the first pallet, three solar instruments and one atmospheric instrument were mounted on the Instrument Pointing System, which was being tested on its first flight. The second Spacelab pallet held a large double x-ray telescope and three plasma physics detectors. The last pallet supported an infrared telescope, a superfluid helium technology experiment, and a small plasma diagnostics satellite. The Spacelab-2 mission was designed to capitalize on the Shuttle-Spacelab capabilities, to launch and retrieve satellites, and to point several instruments independently with accuracy and stability. Spacelab-2 (STS-51F, 19th Shuttle mission) was launched aboard Space Shuttle Orbiter Challenger on July 29, 1985. The Marshall Space Flight Center had overall management responsibilities of the Spacelab missions.
Image credit: NASA
Image source: Internet Archive
