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

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是推动可重复使用太空飞行器的发展。目前的太空发射解决方案使用的是价值数百万美元的火箭，使用一次后就被丢弃，这增加了发射成本，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，导致每公斤5000美元甚至更高的发射成本。火箭提供100%的可重复使用性，并像飞机一样运行，降低了太空运载火箭的成本、可用性问题和服务潜力。拟议的技术促进了可重复使用的空间运载火箭。SBIR第一阶段项目建议开发新技术，使空间运载火箭能够重新进入大气层，并在目标目的地推进着陆，以便重复使用。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、严格的热防护和完成太空任务目标所需的低结构质量的结合。本研究探讨了一种结合基本车辆性能和系统级效率的新技术解决方案，以实现可重复使用的第二级车辆设计。优化参数包括环境条件、能量平衡、性能预测、部件尺寸和机械设计要素。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

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.