SBIR Phase I: Integrated propulsion solution to enable reusable upper stages of space vehicles

SBIR 第一阶段：集成推进解决方案，使航天器上级可重复使用

• 批准号: 2013707
• 负责人: Andrew Lapsa
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: STOKE SPACE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-06-01 至 2021-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2013707&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Integrated; propulsion; solution

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to advance the development of reusable vehicles for space. Current space launch solutions use multi-million-dollar rockets discarded after a single use, increasing launch costs and limiting availability. Even the best solutions reuse only a portion of the rocket a handful of times, resulting in launch costs of $5,000/kg and higher. Rockets offering 100% reusability and operating like aircraft reduce cost, availability concerns, and service potential of space launch vehicles. The proposed technology advances reusable space launch vehicles.This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop new technology enabling space launch vehicles to re-enter the atmosphere and land propulsively at a target destination for reuse. Importantly, robust design solutions are proposed so that extensive refurbishment efforts are not required. Technical challenges include the combination of high-efficiency propulsion, rigorous thermal protection, and low structural mass needed to complete in-space mission objectives. This research investigates a new technical solution combining fundamental vehicle performance with system-level efficiencies to enable reusable second-stage vehicle designs. The optimization parameters include environmental conditions, energy balance, performance predictions, component sizing, and mechanical design elements.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是推进可重复使用的太空飞行器的开发。目前的太空发射解决方案使用一次性使用后丢弃的数百万美元火箭，增加了发射成本并限制了可用性。即使是最好的解决方案也只能重复使用火箭的一部分，导致发射成本达到5,000美元/公斤或更高。火箭提供100%的可重复使用性和像飞机一样的操作，降低了成本，可用性问题和空间运载火箭的服务潜力。SBIR第一阶段项目提出开发新技术，使航天运载火箭能够重返大气层，并在目标目的地推进着陆，以便再次使用。重要的是，提出了稳健的设计解决方案，因此不需要大量的翻新工作。技术挑战包括高效推进、严格的热保护和完成空间使命目标所需的低结构质量的组合。本研究探讨了一种新的技术解决方案，将基本的车辆性能与系统级效率相结合，以实现可重复使用的第二级车辆设计。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。