Launch Vehicle First Stage Reusability
a study to compare different recovery options for a reusable launch vehicle
M.D. Rozemeijer (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
B.T.C. Zandbergen – Mentor (TU Delft - Space Systems Egineering)
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Abstract
In order to make access to space cheaper, the first stage of a launcher can be recovered. For this research, different options are investigated to make the cost per flight cheaper. Two vehicles are investigated going to two different orbits. The results show that recovering the complete stage is better for vehicles that have a lower separation velocity. When the separation velocity is higher, recovering only the engine is better. The best results are obtained when using a Ringsail parachute and a Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator. The design for these systems is optimised using a surrogate optimisation algorithm that reduces the computation time. The set target of 30% cost savings could not be achieved, but cost savings of at least 20% were achieved for both vehicles.