Spaceworks

This paper presents an aerodynamic comparison of vertical fin placement for a vertical takeoff, horizontal landing Reusable Booster System concept. This analysis was conducted using the CART3D inviscid CFD solver. The three configurations analyzed are a wing tip mounted, split tail fuselage mounted, and a single vertical fuselage mounted. This comparison is down at a relevant flight speed for a reusable booster system during re-entry from a rocketback trajectory.

This paper presents the desire by the Air Force to build a Reusable Booster System to provide lower cost and responsive access to space. The various technical challenges that a integrated flight demonstrator can address are presented along with some of the traceability concerns to ensure relevancy to potential operational systems. These technical challenges include the trajectory, efficient structures, adaptive guidance and control, integrated system health management, and ground operations. A relevant historical example, the X-33, is discussed in term of how that program planned to prove the various technologies and technical challenges for the VentureStar.