Download X-33 - blackboard TU Delft

USA
X-33
1. IDENTIFICATION
X-33
- Name:
X-33, (1/2 VENTURE STAR)
- Classification: Suborbital vehicle - Reusable
Technology demonstrator.
Unpiloted
- Development: - NASA
manager
- LOCKHEED MARTIN
P.O. Box 179, MS H 3400
DENVER, COLORADO 80201
Tel.: (303) 977-9289
Fax: (303) 971-9144
- Vehicle status: cancelled
- Development: 941 M$ NASA, 220 M$ LM (1999)
cost
- Launch cost:
0.5 M$ or less per flight
- First launch:
-
- Commercial:
no
2. PRESENTATION
Performance
: suborbital flights
Configuration
: Lifting body airframe. The
suborbital vehicle aimed
technologies
to
make
commercially viable. It is
generation reusable launch
RLV).
Structure
: Mainly graphite-epoxy composite. The hydrogen tanks,
made out of graphite epoxy composites instead of
traditional aluminium is to be the riskiest element (4)
Thermal protection :
Gas generators
:
Site
:
Landing Site
:
Overall length
Width
Dry mass
:
:
:
Maximum speed
X-33 is an experimental
at demonstrating SSTO
a
reusable
launcher
half-scale model of nextvehicle (VENTURE STAR
- 12.1998: two lobes of
hydrogen tanks were
damaged during the
manufacturing
process, contributing
to a 12 month delay
- 02.11.1999: The outer
skin of the X-33's
hydrogen tanks was
fractured during
pressurization tests at
Metallic. Titanium and Inconel (both were tested on STS
Marshall Space Flight
77)
Center in Huntsville,
Ala. based NASA
From the Saturn J-2 upper stage engine
centre.
Flights from Edwards AFB, Calif. (4.5 km runway) Could delay the
programme 1 to 2
Landing at Bicycle Lake, Calif., the Utah Test Range, or years.
Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., depending on flight
- February, 2000:
speed
NASA, Lockheed
20.4 m
choose aluminium
tanks for X-33.
20.7 m
28.5 t
: Mach 15+ Payload bay size : 3 x 1.5 m
Lift-off mass : 124 t
Planned flights
: 15 flights, all in 1999, including at least one to Mach 15, a pair with a 48-hr
turnaround, and three consecutive one- week turnarounds. First launch VENTURE STAR: 2003
X -33 vehicle growth : X-33B is no more a concept. X-33B includes testing composite ramps for the
aerospike engines, different thermal protection, and new avionics.
December 2002
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2.1
X-33
Launch system comparison
SYSTEM
X-33
VENTURE STAR
SPACE SHUTTLE
2001/2002
2003
1981
LOCKHEED MARTIN
LOCKHEED MARTIN
LOCKHEED MARTIN
Length (m)
20.4
38.7
56
Width (m)
20.7
39
23.8
Dry mass (t)
28.5
~ 271
269
Vertical tall
Top of the body
Wingtips
Top of the body
J-2S Linear Aerospike
RS 2200 Linear Aerospike
2 SRB 3 SSMEs
Rocketdyne
Rocketdyne
Rocketdyne
Number of engines
1x2
1 x 7 (2)
2+3
Chamber pressure
(bars)
-
150
224
LH2 tank structure
Composite honeycomb
(4)
Aluminium
Aluminum
LO2 tank structure
Aluminium 2219
Aluminium
Aluminum
¾ Type
Liquid
Liquid
Liquid + solid
¾ Fuel
LH2
LH2
LH2
¾ Oxidizer
LO2
LO2
LO2
¾ Mass (t)
95.6
~ 1 224
1 722
¾ Sea level
910 x 2
1 920 x 7
29 000
¾ Vacuum
-
2 200 x 7
-
Specific impulse (s)
vac.
-
455
453
Mach 15+
Orbital
Orbital
1.5 x 3
4.47 x 13.7 (1)
4.47 x 18.3
Payload mass (t)
160 km, 28.5° orbit
N/A
26
23
TOTAL lift-off mass (t)
124
1 495 (3)
2 038
Designation
Manufacturer
Engine
Manufacturer
Propellant
Lift-off Thrust (kN)
Maximum speed
Payload bay size (m)
(1) The VENTURE STAR will also be able to ferry the X-38. The payload has been moved outside the
body into a modular "crayon" bay, increasing propellant volume
(2) The VENTURE STAR is designed to abort or go into orbit with five of its seven engines operating
(3) 1999 figures
(4) February 2000: X-33 programme officials will recommend a switch from experimental composite
tanks to aluminium tanks for the experimental launch vehicle.
December 1999
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USA
2.2
X-33
Reliability
¾ The X-33 is being designed to accommodate a failure of one of two powerpacks and still
complete its mission.
¾ The avionics are triplex and flight controls are dual redondant.
¾ The X-33 requirement for reliability is less than 1 failure in 100 flights.
The VENTURE STAR has evolved from X-33.
Payload is external, tanks are aluminum,
wings have grown and verticals have
moved. Is X-33 still representative?
X-33
VENTURE STAR
3. DATA SOURCE REFERENCES
1
- Aviation week November 15, 1999, pages 28 to 30
2
- Aviation week July 8, 1996, page 20
3
- Air & cosmos n° 15475 12.07.96, page 46
4
- Air & cosmos n° 1712- 18.07.99, page 18, 2 pages
December 1999
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