Andrea  Testore  -­‐  Cranfield  UniversityAALS  -­‐  feasibility  study 1

Innovation in Small Satellite Launch: Airship Assisted Launch

System Feasibility Study

MSc - Individual Research Project

Andrea Testore

1st September 2015

Andrea  Testore  -­‐  Cranfield  UniversityAALS  -­‐  feasibility  study 2

AALS - feasibility study

How solve small launcher lack? LTA system

• Sizes

• Quality

• Market

• Cost

Andrea  Testore  -­‐  Cranfield  UniversityAALS  -­‐  feasibility  study 3

Contents

1.Market analysis

2.Environment

3.Design

4.Cost analysis

RQM

RQM

Sizes

Feasibility

Andrea  Testore  -­‐  Cranfield  UniversityAALS  -­‐  feasibility  study 4

Nano & Micro-Satellites Market

Trend: • Dove 3U

• OneWeb

Mission purpose: • Commercial principal nano-sats

purpose • Micro-sats promising market share

+300 %

+160 %

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Competitors

AALS RQM: • 200 kg LEO • 20 000 kg

AdvantagesAir launch:

• 332 kg LEO • 30 k$/kg • 23 000 kg

• 225 kg LEO • 45 k$/kg • 17 000 kg

• 100% orbit inclination • Weather tolerance

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Ground Launch

Orbit availability:Alcantara  • VLM  • VLS

Wallops  • Ares  • Minotaur

Dedicated launch

• Piggyback first choice

Except for: Demanding RQM: • Commercial • Military • Civil

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Environment analysis

Losses• Air drag

• Atmospheric

• Gravity

Wind Affects• Attitude

• Safe Range

• Ground Operations Launch delays & abortion

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Wind Trend

Wallops  

AALS RQM: • 20 m/s • 20 000 m

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Design Process

• Thrust required

• Envelope size

• Amount of HeliumPL capab.

• 20 000 kg

Height

Cruise V.

• 20 m/s

• 20 000 m

Top level Requirements

Andrea  Testore  -­‐  Cranfield  UniversityAALS  -­‐  feasibility  study 10

0.25 kg/m^2

Envelope and Mass Breakdown

725 000 m^3• Helium (10.126 N/m^3)

Andrea  Testore  -­‐  Cranfield  UniversityAALS  -­‐  feasibility  study 11

Propulsion

Power density Mass available

Air Density

• Fuel Cell: 3 400 m • Photovoltaic: 12 000 m • Thermoelectric: 23 000 m

Fully operational altitude

Fuel cellPhotov. Thermoe.

Ava. mass

Andrea  Testore  -­‐  Cranfield  UniversityAALS  -­‐  feasibility  study 12

Development & Production

Ground launch:AALS:

$340 M

HAA

Low heritage

$49 - 207 M

HLA

Production

High heritage

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Production Costs

AALS: Ground launch:

$168 M

HAA

Valuable experience

HLA

$49 - 207 M

Production

High heritage

Helium

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Operational Costs

AALS: Ground launch:

Integration

Rocket launch interaction

Safe Range Safe Range

Salt

Acidic exhaust gasses

Depreciation Depreciation

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Feasibility

TechnicalEconomic

• Market

• Development

• Operation

• Production

• Hydrogen

• Applications

• Rigid/Modular

• Hydrogen

Solutions

• Propulsion

• Launch Windows

• Size

• Payload

?

?

Andrea  Testore  -­‐  Cranfield  UniversityAALS  -­‐  feasibility  study 16

Further works

Technical: • Propulsion / Power

• Structure

Economic: • Applications

• Hydrogen

Heavy lift

Long Endurance