Space Systems
ACE Launch Vehicles
While there have been many attempts to bring down space launch costs during the last 50 years, there has been little change to the launch vehicle cost curve. This should not be surprising since launch vehicles are still largely reliant on 1960’s technology. As with every other industry, a significant change in technology is required to transform the cost curve and achieve a new lower cost baseline for launch vehicles.
GTL has been developing a suite of transformational technologies that will shift launch vehicle cost baseline to a new normal. BHL™ composite cyrotank technology reduces launch vehicle propellant tank mass by 75% thereby doubling payload capability and cutting the cost/mass in half. The Superior Stability Engine™ (SSE™) technology eliminates rocket engine combustion instability, thereby dramatically reducing development risk and cutting engine development cost in half. An innovative pressurization system architecture achieves turbopump-type performance at liftoff without the cost and risk of turbopump systems.
Integrating these transformational technologies into the Advanced Cryogenic Expendable™ (ACE™) launch vehicle provides more than double the performance of conventional launch vehicles and provides greater than ten times reduction in launch cost, with less than $300/kg to orbit achievable in a large-class expendable launch vehicle.
ACE-Disruptor (ACE-D) Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle
While there have been many attempts to bring down space launch costs during the last 50 years, there has been little change to the launch vehicle cost curve. This should not be surprising since launch vehicles are still largely reliant on 1960’s technology. As with every other industry, a significant change in technology is required to transform the cost curve and achieve a new lower cost baseline for launch vehicles.
GTL has been developing a suite of transformational technologies that will shift launch vehicle cost baseline to a new normal. BHL™ composite cyrotank technology reduces launch vehicle propellant tank mass by 75% thereby doubling payload capability and cutting the cost/mass in half. The Superior Stability Engine™ (SSE™) technology eliminates rocket engine combustion instability, thereby dramatically reducing development risk and cutting engine development cost in half. An innovative pressurization system architecture achieves turbopump-type performance at liftoff without the cost and risk of turbopump systems.
Integrating these transformational technologies into the Advanced Cryogenic Expendable™ (ACE™) launch vehicle provides more than double the performance of conventional launch vehicles and provides greater than ten times reduction in launch cost, with less than $300/kg to orbit achievable in a large-class expendable launch vehicle.
In this effort funded by NASA, GTL will design and fabricate a small suborbital demonstration rocket vehicle to validate the ACE technologies. This 24-inch diameter vehicle will be propelled by the existing SSE-5k engine with the LOX/LCH4 propellant stored in BHL™ composite cryotanks. In a follow-on effort with additional funding, the rocket vehicle would be statically hot-fire ground tested and then flight tested. This would flight validate several of the critical technologies, thereby reducing ACE development risk and enhancing technology commercialization potential.
Translunar Reusable Utility Carrier (TRUC) Descent Element
The Translunar Reusable Utility Carrier (TRUC) is a high-performance, high-reliability, low-risk vehicle to fill the Descent Element (DE) role in NASA’s three-state Human Landing System architecture. The TRUC design fuses a highly reliable pressure-fed propulsion architecture with modern high-performance propulsion and structure technologies, while utilizing high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) components and technologies.
Rendering of the Translunar Reusable Utility Carrier (TRUC) Descent Element
This approach minimizes development risk allowing TRUC to support an accelerated flight schedule. The simple and robust design maximizes reliability, ensuring astronaut safety, and allowing repeated uses. The high-performance of TRUC allows it to deliver large payloads to the lunar surface, with the capability of returning empty to the Gateway. This capability exceeds NASA’s Descent Element single use payload goal and would meet the combination of payload and reusability goals, thereby accelerating NASA’s timeline and reducing the launch demands by reusing the Decent Element.
TRUC Concept of Operations
TRUC is capable of carrying itself and a small payload from trans-lunar injection to the Gateway and then on to the lunar surface. The TRUC is then able to return empty to the Gateway for refueling and reuse. When combined with a transfer stage, the same TRUC Descent Element will be capable of delivering 9 – 12 mT of payload from low-lunar orbit (LLO) to the lunar surface and then return itself to the Gateway for refueling and reuse.
Mission ΔV Map
Since high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies are used in the Baseline-TRUC, there is low development risk. Furthermore, the ability to reuse the TRUC Descent Element could accelerate key demonstrations (e.g. refueling), reduce the number of launches and/or provide improved mission resiliency for lunar missions.
Configuration
The 15 mT wet mass TRUC is configured and sized to fit within the 4.6 m diameter dynamic envelope goal to avoid the need to reconfigure the vehicle for later missions, aiding in meeting the design stability requirement. TRUC includes four ultra-light BHL™ composite cryotanks for propellant storage, which are balanced around the centerline for center-of-mass control. These tanks are 1.8m in diameter with a total length of 2.7m, carrying up to 14,000 kg of LOX and LCH4 when fully filled.
The primary structure consists of a main graphite-composite structural frame with composite decks above and below the tanks. Each composite deck includes payload attachment features to allow payloads to be carried under or over the TRUC depending upon mission needs. Four extensible shock absorbing composite landings are mounted to the primary structure.
The baseline design uses four small throttleable LOX/LCH4 liquid rocket engines. Four maneuvering bi-prop gas/gas thrusters are used to augment engine throttling, with reaction control thrusters (RCS) for attitude control.
A deployable pointing solar array is used to generate power in-space or on the lunar surface. Rechargeable batteries provide power during propulsive operations. The enhanced version of the TRUC includes a cryocooler system along with multi-layer insulation, thermal isolation and radiators to achieve zero-boiloff of the propellants, enabling long loiter times.
TRUC uses high TRL avionics and electrical components for command and data handling (C&DH), communications, attitude control system (ACS), guidance and control (GNC) and landing, and power processing.
Reusability, Recyclability and Extensibility
The high performance of the TRUC Descent Element allows it to return to the Gateway on its own after delivering its payload to the lunar surface. This would allow TRUC to be reused after performing the its mission. Since the TRUC design has high reliability, it can be repeatedly refilled and reused, increasing the resiliency of the HLS infrastructure.
The TRUC can be extended beyond its Descent Element role to fill other roles in the architecture. A TRUC could be used as a Transfer Vehicle Element between the Gateway and LLO, or used to as a reusable Refueling Element to carry propellant and cargo from TLI to the Gateway
Key Technologies
One of the key technologies used in TRUC is GTL’s BHL cryotank technology. With GTL, DARPA and NASA funding, BHL™ has been demonstrated to provide a 75% mass reduction compared to an equivalent state-of-the-art cryogenic propellant tank. The high performance of the BHL cryotanks provides a mass efficient means to achieve high tank operating pressures. This capability is used in TRUC to implement a high-performance pressure-fed architecture, similar to that used in the Apollo LMDE. By eliminating complex pumps, pressure-fed systems are able to achieve very high reliability.