Shuttle-Derived Launch Vehicle - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Shuttle-Derived Launch Vehicle, or simply Shuttle-Derived Vehicle (SDV), is a term describing one of a wide array of concepts that have been developed for creating space launch vehicle

Launch vehicle

In spaceflight, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into outer space. A launch system includes the launch vehicle, the launch pad and other infrastructure....

s from the components, technology and/or infrastructure of the Space Shuttle program

Space Shuttle program

NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...

. SDVs have also been part of NASA's plans several times in the past. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, NASA formally studied a cargo-only vehicle, Shuttle-C

Shuttle-C

The Shuttle-C was a NASA proposal to turn the Space Shuttle launch stack into a dedicated unmanned cargo launcher. This would use the Space Shuttle external tank and Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters , combined with a cargo module that would attach to Shuttle hardpoints and include the Space...

, that would have supplemented the crewed Space Shuttle in orbiting payloads.

In 2005, NASA decided to develop the Ares I

Ares I

Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars...

and Ares V

Ares V

The Ares V was the planned cargo launch component of the Constellation program, which was to have replaced the Space Shuttle after its retirement in 2011. Ares V was also planned to carry supplies for a human presence on Mars...

launch vehicles, based in part on highly modified Shuttle components to replace the Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle

The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

, and enable exploration of the Moon

Moon

The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...

and Mars

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...

. The agency also studied a third such vehicle, the Ares IV. As of April 2011, NASA's replacement vehicle for the Space Shuttle is an SDV, the Space Launch System

Space Launch System

The Space Launch System, or SLS, is a Space Shuttle-derived heavy launch vehicle being designed by NASA, following the cancellation of the Constellation Program, to replace the retired Space Shuttle. The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 envisions the transformation of the Ares I and Ares V vehicle...

Concepts

SDV concepts were proposed even before the Shuttle itself began flying. Proposed SDV concepts have included:

Replacing the winged Space Shuttle Orbiter
Space Shuttle Orbiter
The Space Shuttle orbiter was the orbital spacecraft of the Space Shuttle program operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. The orbiter was a reusable winged "space-plane", a mixture of rockets, spacecraft, and aircraft...

with an uncrewed, expendable cargo pod ("side-mount style" SDV)
Removing the Orbiter and mounting an upper stage and payload atop the Space Shuttle external tank
Space Shuttle external tank
A Space Shuttle External Tank is the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. During lift-off and ascent it supplies the fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three Space Shuttle Main Engines in the orbiter...

("inline-style" SDV)
Adding a large cargo container to the rear of the external tank, allowing launches of bulky materials (Aft Cargo Carrier)
Replacing the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters were the pair of large solid rockets used by the United States' NASA Space Shuttle during the first two minutes of powered flight. Together they provided about 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. They were located on either side of the rusty or...

s (SRBs) with liquid rockets, including recoverable winged "flyback" boosters
Creating vehicles from one or more Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters, usually with some kind of an upper stage
Removing the wings of an Orbiter at the end of its useful life, permanently attaching it to a Space Shuttle external tank, and launching the combination as a space station

Several such concepts are of particular note:

Shuttle-C

Beginning in 1987, NASA actively pursued development of a vehicle called the Shuttle-C, an uncrewed cargo-only launch vehicle. Shuttle-C would have replaced the winged Space Shuttle Orbiter with an expendable cargo module. The module would have no wings, would not carry crew, and would not be recovered. It was expected to carry up to 150000 pounds (68,038.9 kg) of payload to low-Earth orbit, compared to the Shuttle's nominal maximum of 65000 pounds (29,483.5 kg). Budget pressures, caused in large part by the Space Station Freedom

Space Station Freedom

Space Station Freedom was a NASA project to construct a permanently manned Earth-orbiting space station in the 1980s. Although approved by then-president Ronald Reagan and announced in the 1984 State of the Union Address, Freedom was never constructed or completed as originally designed, and after...

project, resulted in the official cancellation of Shuttle-C in 1990.

National Launch System

The National Launch System was a study authorized in 1991 by President George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush

George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...

to outline alternatives to the Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle

for access to Earth Orbit. The largest of three proposed vehicles was designated NLS-1 and used for its core stage a modified Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle

External Tank with four Space Transportation Main Engines (STMEs) attached to the bottom of the tank. A payload or second stage

Multistage rocket

A multistage rocket is a rocket that usestwo or more stages, each of which contains its own engines and propellant. A tandem or serial stage is mounted on top of another stage; a parallel stage is attached alongside another stage. The result is effectively two or more rockets stacked on top of or...

would fit atop the core stage, and two detachable Solid Rocket Boosters

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster

The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters were the pair of large solid rockets used by the United States' NASA Space Shuttle during the first two minutes of powered flight. Together they provided about 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. They were located on either side of the rusty or...

would be mounted on the sides of the core stage. Larger rockets than NLS-1 were contemplated, using multiples of the NLS-1 core stage.

DIRECT / Jupiter

A recent proposal put forward as alternative to the NASA Ares vehicles is the "Direct Shuttle Derivative" or DIRECT architecture (unrelated to the "Mars Direct" plan described below), made by a grassroots group of engineers and other spaceflight enthusiasts. As of late May 2009, DIRECT revolves a notional series of vehicles, dubbed "Jupiter", that would utilize an external tank

Space Shuttle external tank

A Space Shuttle External Tank is the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. During lift-off and ascent it supplies the fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three Space Shuttle Main Engines in the orbiter...

(ET) derived core stage powered by three or four Space Shuttle Main Engine

Space Shuttle main engine

The RS-25, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine , is a reusable liquid-fuel rocket engine built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne for the Space Shuttle, running on liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Each Space Shuttle was propelled by three SSMEs mated to one powerhead...

s (SSMEs), plus a pair of standard four-segment SRBs. All versions of Jupiter would use this "common core"; larger variants would include an upper stage.

DIRECT's proponents, which the group says includes dozens of NASA and industry personnel working anonymously, argue that development costs of this vehicle would be significantly lower than those for the Ares I / Ares V because of Jupiter's greater commonality with the existing Space Shuttle and its proven, human-rated systems. Further, because the same common core design would be used for both crew and cargo launches, savings would be realized over the dissimilar Ares I and Ares V vehicles through economies of scale, streamlined production and processing, and the like. The DIRECT Team claims that two Jupiter launches would be capable of exceeding NASA's delivered payload mass targets for an Ares I / Ares V lunar mission.

The group presented its concept to the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee

Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee

The Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee was a group reviewing the human spaceflight plans of the United States...

at a public hearing on 17 June 2009 in Washington, D.C.

NASA Side-Mount Vehicle

In June 2009 at the same public hearing of the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee

Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee

The Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee was a group reviewing the human spaceflight plans of the United States...

, Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon unveiled a preliminary concept for a new "side-mount" variant SDV. NASA had begun studying this as an alternate for the Constellation program. This concept would be somewhat similar to the Shuttle-C, but with the Shuttle Orbiter replaced by a keel and boattail structure permanently affixed to the ET (as opposed to the detachable cargo-carrier on Shuttle-C). Three SSMEs would be mounted in the boattail, essentially a simplified Orbiter boattail, and a large expendable fairing would encapsulate the payload. The entire vehicle, including SSMEs, would be discarded after launch. Shannon presented the concept for both cargo-only operation, and crewed missions using the Orion spacecraft and its launch escape system

Launch escape system

A Launch Escape System is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of emergency. Since the escape rockets are above the crew module, an LES typically uses separate nozzles which are...

. While requiring far less development than the Ares vehicles, the basic configuration of the vehicle would in a 2-launch lunar architecture be less capable than the currently envisioned Ares I and Ares V mission scenario.

Mars Direct

As part of the Mars Direct plan, Mars

Mars

exploration advocate Robert Zubrin

Robert Zubrin

Robert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of the manned exploration of Mars. He was the driving force behind Mars Direct—a proposal intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission...

and other baselined an "inline" SDV concept developed by engineers at NASA and Martin Marietta. The rocket consisted of a large upper stage and payload shroud mounted on top of the Space Shuttle external tank, and the Orbiter replaced by a simple engine pod. The rocket would launch crews and vehicles directly to Mars. The term "Mars Direct" reflected the idea of launching crews and habitats directly to Mars, without assembly or significant loiter in low Earth orbit. NASA's planned Ares V vehicle would superficially resemble this vehicle due to its "inline" setup, although the Mars Direct Ares used side-mounted Space Shuttle Main Engines and a core with the Shuttle External Tank's diameter for greater commonality with Space Shuttle infrastructure.

Vision for Space Exploration

In 2005, NASA decided to pursue the design and construction of two new launchers, both based on technology and infrastructure developed for the US Space Shuttle program

Space Shuttle program

NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...

. These launchers would replace the Space Shuttle and supply the launch services necessary to fulfill the Vision for Space Exploration. NASA has given the name "Project Constellation

Project Constellation

Constellation Program is a human spaceflight program within NASA, the space agency of the United States. The stated goals of the program were to gain significant experience in operating away from Earth's environment, develop technologies needed for opening the space frontier, and conduct...

" for the manned Crew Launch Vehicle project.

Ares I

The Ares I

Ares I

Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars...

, to be used for crew launch, will use as its first stage a solid rocket

Solid rocket

A solid rocket or a solid-fuel rocket is a rocket engine that uses solid propellants . The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used by the Chinese in warfare as early as the 13th century and later by the Mongols, Arabs, and Indians.All rockets used some form of...

derived from the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster

(SRB). Whereas the Shuttle SRBs use four segments of solid propellant, the Ares I first stage will use five. The shape of the central bore of each propellant segment will also be modified to produce a faster burn. The Ares I will be topped by a new second stage, currently under development, that will burn liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

Ares V

The unmanned Ares V vehicle, to be used to loft equipment for lunar sortie

Lunar sortie

A lunar sortie is a human spaceflight mission to the Moon. In contrast with lunar outpost missions, lunar sorties will be of relatively brief duration.- NASA sorties :...

or lunar outpost flights into orbit to be met by human crews launched by the Ares I, superficially resembles many of the earlier proposed "inline" SDV concepts. NASA also has proposals of using the Ares V as the main booster to launch the manned Orion Asteroid Mission to an orbiting Near-Earth Asteroid. It consists of a cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH₂) and liquid oxygen (LOX) center stage flanked by two modified SRBs, topped by a new second stage based on the S-IVB

S-IVB

The S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company and served as the third stage on the Saturn V and second stage on the Saturn IB. It had one J-2 engine...

stage of the Saturn V

Saturn V

The Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload...

rocket. Previous "inline" SDV concepts, however, envisioned extensive use of Shuttle components such as the existing External Tank, or a "stretched" version thereof, as well as the Shuttle's existing main engines. The Ares V will use stretched five or "five-point-five"-segment versions of the SRBs; a new, larger tank using Shuttle External Tank construction and insulation technology; and newer, cheaper expendable rocket engines (the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United States company that designs and produces rocket engines that use liquid propellants. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, headquartered in Canoga Park, California, is a division of Pratt & Whitney, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation...

RS-68 engine, identical to those used on the Delta IV EELV

EELV

Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system program of the United States Air Force , intended to assure access to space for Department of Defense and other United States government payloads...

) located at the base of the new tank.

Ares IV

NASA briefly studied a third, crew-capable, launch vehicle concept, called the Ares IV, which would use the Ares V first stage core and side-mounted SRBs, but with the planned Ares I second stage atop that to carry the Orion crew vehicle. Advantages over the Ares I would probably include reduced development cost and time, common launch pad infrastructure and providing more than adequate lift for the Orion, while disadvantages would include increased per-launch cost over the use of a single SRB for the first stage. According to NASA, potential uses of the Ares IV would have included sending the Orion spacecraft on early "shakeout" missions into lunar orbit only, as well as testing high-speed "skip reentries"

Skip reentry

Skip reentry is a reentry technique involving one or more successive "skips" off the atmosphere to achieve greater entry range or to slow the spacecraft before final entry, which helps to dissipate the huge amount of heat that is usually generated on faster descents...

in which the capsule would skip in the Earth's atmosphere before landing, rather than making a relatively direct descent.

Ares V Lite

Ares V Lite was an alternative launch vehicle for NASA's Constellation program suggested by the Augustine Commission

Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee

The Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee was a group reviewing the human spaceflight plans of the United States...

. Ares V Lite was a scaled down Ares V. It would use five RS-68 engines and two five-segment SRBs and have a low Earth orbit payload of approximately 140 metric tons (309,000 lb). If chosen, Ares V Lite would replace the Ares V and Ares I

Ares I

Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars...

launchers. One Ares V Lite version would be a cargo lifter like Ares V and the second version would carry astronauts in the Orion spacecraft.

Space Launch System

The NASA Authorization Act of 2010

NASA Authorization Act of 2010

The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 is a U.S. law which authorizes NASA appropriations for fiscal years 2011–2013 with the same top-line budget values as requested by President of the United States Barack Obama...

envisions the transformation of the Ares I

Ares I

Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars...

and Ares V

Ares V

vehicle designs into a Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle, the Space Launch System, both for crew and cargo. It is to be upgraded over time with more powerful versions. The initial capability of the core elements, without an upper stage, should be for between 70 tons and 100 tons into LEO in preparation for transit for missions beyond low-Earth orbit. With the addition of integrated upper Earth departure stage

Earth Departure Stage

The Ares V Earth Departure Stage was a rocket stage which NASA planned to design at its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama as part of Project Constellation...

the total lift capability of the Space Launch System should be 130 tons or more.

Liberty

A proposal put forth by ATK

ATK

ATK may refer to:*America's Test Kitchen, a cooking show on PBS*Alliant Techsystems, a mid-level United States aerospace and defense contractor*Accessibility Toolkit, a GNOME software development toolkit*ATK motorcycles, an off-road motorcycle manufacturer...

and Astrium is to use a five-segment version of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster

as a first stage and a liquid-core first stage of an Ariane 5

Ariane 5

Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales...

as the second stage of a proposed rocket named Liberty

Liberty (rocket)

Liberty is a 2011 launch vehicle concept proposed to NASA by Alliant Techsystems and Astrium under phase 2 of the NASA Commercial Crew Development program intended to stimulate development of privately operated crew vehicles to low Earth orbit....

. Such a design would cut costs and development time by using already-proven technologies. Liberty will be 90 meters in length with a projected capability of carrying 20 metric tonnes to low earth orbit

Low Earth orbit

A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...

. It is projected that this rocket would be flight-capable by 2013 and human-certified by 2015. Some of the potential crew vehicles are being developed with funds from the Commercial Crew Development program

Commercial Crew Development

Commercial Crew Development is a multiphase space technology development program, funded by the U.S. government, and administered by NASA. The program is intended to stimulate development of privately operated crew vehicles to low Earth orbit. It is run by the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program...

External links

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