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Design of a System for Assured
Low-Cost Human Access to Space
University of Maryland at College Park
Department of Aerospace Engineering
ENAE 484 Design Project
Spring 1994
Abstract
In recent years, Congress and the American people have begun to seriously
question the role and importance of future manned spaceflight. This is
mainly due to two factors: a decline in technical competition caused by the
collapse of communism, and the high costs associated with the Space Shuttle
transportation system. With these factors in mind, the ORION system was
designed to enable manned spaceflight at a low cost, while maintaining the
ability to carry out diverse missions, each with a high degree of flexibility. It is
capable of performing satellite servicing missions, supporting a space station
via crew rotation and resupply, and delivering satellites into geosynchronous
orbit. The components of the system are a primary launch module, an upper
stage, and a manned spacecraft capable of dynamic reentry. For satellite
servicing and space station resupply missions, the ORION system utilizes
three primary modules, an upper stage and the spacecraft, which is delivered
to low earth orbit and used to rendezvous, transfer materials and make
repairs. For launching a geosynchronous satellite, one primary module and
an upper stage are used to deliver the satellite, along with an apogee kick
motor, into orbit. The system is designed with reusability and modularity in
mind in an attempt to lower cost.
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Design of a System for Assured
Low-(._ost Human Access to Space
University of Maryland at College Park
Department of Aerospace Engineering
ENAE 484 Design Project
Spring 1994
The ORION system was designed by undergraduate students in the
University of Maryland's ENAE 484 Spacecraft Design class, a one-semester
course taught by Dr. Dave Akin. The purpose of the class was to expose
students to engineering design on a systems level, using a format and
organization similar to industry. The following is a list of the students who
participated in the class, with a description of their respective contributions.
Kourosh Amin Systems Integration: Spacecraft
Teresa Hunt Systems Integration: Programmatics and Reliability;
Final Presentation
Brian Whalen Systems Integration: Spacecraft
Martin Zhu Systems Integration: Launch Vehicle; Final
Presentation
Andy Heifetz Avionics: Data Management; Final Presentation
Andrew Langsdale Avionics: Communications
Andrew Muhs Avionics: Navigation, Guidance and Control
Johnny Gee Propulsion: Engine Design; Power
Taral Patel Propulsion: Propellants and Engine Design,
Thrust Vectoring
Rizwan Ramakdawala Propulsion: OMS and RMS
David Brent Mission Analysis: Rendezvous
Mike Drever Mission Analysis: Launch Trajectory
Alan Ricks Mission Analysis: Abort Analysis and Systems, Pre-
Launch Scheduling and Ground Operations
Josh Elvander Human Factors; Final Presentation
Kevin Johnson Human Factors; Spacecraft Integration
Gabriele Barigelli Structures: Launch Vehicle
Robert Evans Structures: Thermal Protection; Re-entry Trajectory
Angel Rittle Structures: Wing and Crew Cabin
The final report was edited by Josh Elvander, Andy Heifetz, Teresa Hunt and
Martin Zhu. The class would like to thank Dr. Akin for his invaluable
assistance, direction, and above all, patience. It would also like to thank J.
Corde Lane, his able, qualified and punctual teaching assistant.
ORION Design of a System for Assured Low-Cost Human Access to Space
ORION
DESIGN OF A SYSTEM FOR ASSURED
LOW-COST HUMAN ACCESS TO SPACE
University of Maryland at College Park
Aerospace Engineering Department
College Park, Maryland
Professor David Akin
J. Corde Lane, Teaching Assistant
Josh Elvander, Andy Heifetz, Teresa Hunt, Martin Zhu,
and Students of the ENAE 484 Design Class
Abstract
Mission Objectives
In recent years, Congress and the American people
have begun to seriously question the role and Reference Missions
importance of future manned spaceflight. This is
mainly due to two factors: a decline in technical The system was required to perform the following
competition caused by the collapse of communism, and three reference missions:
the high costs associated with the Space Shuttle
transportation system. With these factors in mind, the Mission 1: Transport four astronauts and a 5000 kg
ORION system was designed to enable manned logistics module to the Space Station and return to
spaceflight at a low cost, while maintaining the ability Earth with the same size crew and payload. The crew of
to carry out diverse missions, each with ahigh degree of four was not permitted to participate in flight
flexibility. It is capable of performing satellite servicing operations.
missions, supporting a space station via crew rotation Perform the Hubble Space Telescope
and resupply, and delivering satellites into (HST) servicing mission from STS-61.
geosynchronous orbit. The components of the system Mission 3: Transport a 2000 kg communications
are a primary launch module, an upper stage, and a satellite, along with necessary apogee kick stage, for
manned spacecraft capable of dynamic reentry. For insertion into geosynchronous transfer orbit.
satellite servicing and space station resupply missions,
the ORION system utilizes three primary modules, an Mission Model
upper stage and the spacecraft, which isdelivered to low
earth orbit and used to rendezvous, transfer materials and
The system was required to perform the three
make repairs. For launching a geosynchronous
preceding reference missions according to the mission
satellite, one primary module and an upper stage are
model in Table I. Three developmental flights were
used to deliver the satellite, along with an apogee kick
planned in the year 1999 to test the system.
motor, into orbit. The system is designed with
reusability and modularity in mind in an attempt to
Table ! Baseline Mission Model
lower cost.
Introduction Space Station I Hbq" sa,ol,,,o I oTota,yIo r
Interval Resuppl_ I Servicin_
2000-2004 s/_,e_ I II I
The main goal of the class was to design a vehicle 22000150--22000194 68//__,eeaarr I[ 34//__,eeaarr 68qqe__ar II 2105 II
capable of transporting payload and crew into space at a 2015-2019 IOqCa, I 23 I
low cost. The system's cost per manned mission was 2020-2024 4/_ear I 9 I
to be less than $100M (all dollar values FY94), and the
cost of transporting payload to orbit was to be reduced ORLON System Overview
to $1000/kg bulk cargo. It was to be based on current
technology with a technology cut-off date of January 1, The components of the system were a primary launch
1994. The system was expected to be fully operational module, an upper stage, and a manned spacecraft capable
by the year 2000 with safe crew abort modes in all of dynamic reentry. The ORLON spacecraft was
flight regimes, and a mission reliability of 99%. The designed to support a crew of six astronauts for up to 15
preliminary design and analysis of the system was days in low earth orbit (LEO). The spacecraft was a
performed by a team of eighteen students during the delta winged vehicle capable of gliding to a horizontal
Spring 1994 semester. landing on a runway. Its primary landing site was
KennedSypaceCenter.It was21minlengthwitha
heighotf4.1mandawingspaonf 10.75m. Primary Figure 2ORION Manned & Unmanned Configurations
controslurfacefosrlandinwgerelocateodnthewinglets
ofthewings.Itwasequippewdiththreesetsoflanding
geaarrrangeindatricycleconfiguratiofonrlanding.
Figure1TopViewofSpacecraft
10.5m
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The launch vehicle primary modules used a liquid
:':.:':.:':.:': n':.:':,:':.:':.l!.:':.:'..:':. :'
oxygen (LOX) liquid hydrogen (LH2) propellant system
with three engines. The modules were 22.4 m in length
with a diameter of 8.0 m, and had a mass of
approximately 28,000 kg. The upper stages also used a Unmanned Manned
LOX/LH2 system with only one engine. The upper
unmanned. The primary launch site was Kennedy Space
stages were 19.5 m in length with a diameter of 4.4 m.
Center. The module and upper-stage production rates
and a mass of approximately 8700 kg. are shown in Table 2 below.
Vehicle Configurations Table 2 Module and Upper Stage Production
ORION was designed with two configurations. The Interval Modules per Upper Total Total Upper
first configuration was a manned system designed to _ea_ Stase_qear Modules Stages
1999 7 3 7 3
perform reference missions 1 and 2. The three stage
2000-2004 23 II 115 55
launch vehicle used two primary modules as its first 2005-2009 33 15 165 7.5
stage (stage lm), one primary module as its second 2010-2014 44 20 220 100
2015-2019 49 23 245 115
stage (stage 2m), and one upper stage as its third stage 2020-2024 19 9 95 45
(stage 3m). The launch vehicle was capable of boosting To_I _47 393
approximately 50,000 kg of payload into low earth
orbit in this configuration. The spacecraft sat on top of Spacecraft Programmatics. Three reusable
the stack and was attached to stage 3m. spacecraft were needed to complete the baseline mission
profile (Table 1). The first spacecraft was built in
The second configuration was an unmanned two stage 1999, the second in 2000, and the third in 2005. The
vehicle designed to perform reference mission 3. The first and second spacecraft were retired in 2020, the first
first stage (stage lu) used one primary module and the having completed 74 missions and the second 72
second stage (stage 2u) used one upper stage. This missions. The third spacecraft had flown a total of 81
configuration delivered approximately 7,800 kg to missions atthe end of the program.
GTO. The spacecraft was not used since the mission
was unmanned. In its place on stage 2u was a payload Launch Trajectory
shroud designed to protect the satellite during launch.
The launch vehicle was capable of delivering the
Programmatics necessary payload to the three orbits listed in the table
below. The AV's necessary to achieve these orbits are
Launch Vehicle Programmatics. Analysis
also listed. The launch vehicle was capable of
showed that manufacturing expendable rockets and using
achieving the low earth orbits with approximately 4500
a reusable spacecraft was more cost-effective than kg of spare fuel.
manufacturing reusable rockets. The launch vehicle was
scheduled for 393 missions: 227 manned and 166
