Current Launch System Industrial Base Ray F. Johnson Vice President Space Launch Operations Space Systems Group The Aerospace Corporation October 19, 2011 The Aerospace Corporation 2011
Agenda EELV Launch Systems and Industrial Base Rocket Propulsion Industrial Base 2
Atlas V Evolution GTO Capability (klbs) 30 Atlas II/III Family Atlas V Family 25 20 15 10 5 3.3m/4.2m Fairing (PLF) Dual Engine Centaur (DEC) (RL10A-4-1) 3.1m Interstage Assembly (ISA) 3.1m Booster Core (MA-5A Booster & Sustainer Engines) IOC Atlas IIA Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) Single Engine Centaur (SEC) Booster Core LOX Stretch RD-180 Engine Common Centaur RL10A-4-2 Atlas IIAS Atlas IIIA Atlas IIIB 3.8m Common Core Booster TM (CCB) Atlas V (401) SRBs Atlas V (4XX Series) (1-3 SRBs) 5.4 m Fairing Avionics Upgrades GSO Kits Atlas V (5XX Series) (0-5 SRBs) 6/92 12/93 5/00 2/02 8/02 7/03 Stretched 5.4 m Fairing CCB Liquid Rocket Boosters Atlas V (Heavy) 3
Delta IV Evolution GTO Capability (klbs) 30 25 20 15 10 5 2.9m/3m Fairing (PLF) STAR 48/37FM SRM Third Stage Hyper Engine Second Stage (AJ10-118K ) 2.4m Interstage 2.4m Booster Core (RS-27A Booster Engine) Castor IVA Solid Rocket Boosters IOC Delta II (69XX) Delta II/III Family GEM 40 (SRBs) Delta II (79XX) 4m Fairing Cryo Second Stage RL10B-2 GEM 46 (SRBs) Delta III (89XX) Stretched 4m Fairing Delta III Upper Stage Stretched 5.1m Common Booster Core (CBC) CBC RS-68 Engine Delta IV (Med) Delta IV Family GEM 60 (SRBs) Delta IV (Med+ 4 series) (2 SRBs) 5.1m Fairing Upper Stage Widened & Stretched Delta IV (Med+ 5 series) (2 or 4 SRBS) Stretched 5.1m Fairing CBC Liquid Rocket Boosters Delta IV (Heavy) 2/89 11/90 8/98 3/03 11/02 7/04 4
EELV Industrial Base As EELV s anchor tenant, NSS must provide a steady production rate, decoupled from launch manifest, to establish a healthy industrial base Launch industrial base is shrinking due to decreased market; exacerbated by current USG buying practices Solution: steady production rate provides long-term, focused, and welldefined commitment to industry Removes uncertainty from program and retains capacity Preserves capability for next generation space launch 5
EELV Industrial Base (Cont d) Rate is the key factor that keeps prime and sub production from going dark, increasing costs/risks Detailed analysis with ULA, PWR, ATK, Aerojet Restart / recertification cost and effort significant Keystone of new EELV approach is annual minimum production rate of 8 cores 4 Atlas, 4 Delta -- 5 USAF / 3 NRO / year commitment Steady production achieved through Block Buys Block = Annual Production Rate X Defined Duration Production Rate Commitment Critical To Industrial Base Health and EELV Program Stability 6
Engine System U.S. Rocket Engine Development 1945-2010 Today, there are no new engine development programs in the U.S. 20 Post WWII Dev. Space Race # of New Engines Space Shuttle Development Period EELV & COTS Ares 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 Number of New Engines in Development 4 3 2 1 Year 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Reprinted with permission of CPIAC 7
U.S. Rocket Propulsion Industry Evolution Since 1941, more than a dozen U.S. companies had been involved in rocket propulsion business Only a few major U.S. companies are active today, however various new commercial space entities are emerging From 1941 Today Liquid Rocketdyne Pratt & Whitney TRW General Electric American Pacific Corp Rocket Research Corp Hamilton Standard Div. Reaction Motors Aerojet Thiokol Hercules Atlantic Research Corp Grand Central Rocket Co. Rohm & Hass Co. United Technology Center Solid Liquid Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Northrop Grumman Space-X Aerojet Small Business Blue Origin, Busek, Exquadrum, Florida Turbine, Orbitec WASK, Williams International, XCOR & many more Solid ATK 8
Liquid Rocket Engines State of the Industry: Limited recent U.S. liquid rocket engine development RS-68 and Merlin Designed to focus on reducing production recurring costs J-2X is completing development RL10 (A-4-2, B-2) multiple performance enhancements, reduced overall design margins 50-year-old craftsman-based manufacturing Limited growth opportunity without major redesign RD-180 Produced in Russia with insight from the US companies AJ26 Americanization of Russian NK33 SSME Last NASA funded development effort resulting in steady production DoD Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology (IHPRPT), funded ~$200M over last 15 years -- technology focused only New commercial space companies entering the market SpaceX, OSC, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Sierra Nevada, etc Potentially disruptive to current access to space cost model Still building maturity required for critical high value payloads Long term market demand is uncertain 9
Operational Liquid Engines in U.S. Today Developer: Atlas V Delta IV Space Shuttle Falcon Commercial (Space-X) RL10A-4-2 (LOX/LH2, 22k lbf) First flown in 1963 Currently flying at 2X design Pc RL10B-2 (LOX/LH2, 25k lbf) First flown in 1963 Currently flying at 2X design Pc RETIRED (2011) NEW ENTRANT Merlin (1X) (LOX/RP, High Expansion Nozzle) Kestrel (LOX/RP, 6k lbf) (400 Series) RD-180 (LOX/RP, 860k lbf SL) First flown in 2002 Russian made (500 Series) (Med) (Med+ 4m) RS-68 (LOX/LH2, 656k lbf SL) First flown in 2002 RS-68A upgrade design certification completed in 2011 (Med+ 5m) (Heavy) Reprinted courtesy of U.S. Air Force SSME (3X) (LOX/LH2, 408k lbf SL) First flown in 1981 Retired in 2011 Merlin (1X/9X) (LOX/RP, 115-125k lbf SL) First successful flight in 2008 (Falcon 1) Delta II retiring after 2 NASA missions (1) (9) 10
LOX/LH2 Upper Stage Engines World s 1 st Hydrogen Engine & Its Evolution Engine Qualification Year 1961 1963 1966 1967 1985 1991 1994 1998 1999 2000 Model A-1 A-3 A-3-1 A-3-3 A-3-3A A-4 A-4-1 B-2 A-4-1A A-4-2 RL10A-1 15k lbf Pc=300 psia Isp = 422 s RL10A-3 15k lbf Pc=300 psia Isp = 427 s RL10A-3-3A 16.5k lbf Pc=475 psia Isp = 444.4 s RL10B-2 24.7k lbf Pc=640 psia Isp = 464 s RL10A-4-2 22.3k lbf Pc=610 psia Isp = 451 s (Delta IV) (Atlas V) The World s 1 st Qualified LOX/LH2 Engine The World s 1 st Flown LOX/LH2 Engine Successive increases in performance over 50 years (running at 2X design Pc) 11
Next Generation Engine (NGE) Overview USAF considering an LOX/LH2 alternative engine to replace aging RL10 Request for Information posted September 2010 NGE Objectives Modern manufacturing techniques & materials Increased designed-in reliability and performance margins Sustainable and low cost Creates interagency partnership opportunity Incorporates NSS & NASA requirements Captures emerging commercial needs Leverage advanced design tools & technologies matured by AFRL/NASA technology investment e.g. AFRL Upper Stage Engine Technology (USET) Creates open competition Bolster U.S. liquid propulsion industrial base capability Top-level Technical Requirements Thrust (vacuum) 30klbfs Isp (vacuum) 465 seconds or greater Nozzle Fixed (preferred, but not required) Restartable Minimum of 4 flight starts Life expectancy 3000 seconds or greater Reusable Not required Mixture Ratio Adjustable during operation Length (gimbal to NTE 90 inches nozzle exit) Exit Diameter NTE 73 inches (desired) Threshold Reliability 0.9990 or greater NGE serves critical need for modern, reliable, cost effective engine, sustainment of industrial base and U.S. leadership in propulsion technology 12
Lessons Learned Launch Failures In past 50 years, propulsion enabled ballistic and spacelift capabilities Powered first US ICBMs Evolved into space launch vehicle systems Continuous improvements in performance, reliability, operability Historically, more than 40% of all launch vehicle failures caused by propulsion subsystem malfunctions (#1 contributor)* Launch Vehicle Subsystem Failures (2010-9-30) by Tomei, E. J., & Chang, I.- S., Aerospace A launch failure incurs the loss of not only expensive hardware (launch vehicles/satellites), but extremely high recovery cost Improving propulsion subsystem reliability is critical to mitigating future launch failures 13