Space Shuttle Technology

1
Space Shuttle Technology

• Management of Technology (MGMT 5636)
• UHCL Summer 2005
• Timothy Davis Shelia DMello
• Nora Freeman Adam Harris

2
Table of Contents

• Introduction
• History of Space Shuttle
• Roles of Organizations
• Competition between Organizations
• IP Protection
• Competitive Landscape
• Brights Modified Process
• Future of Solid Rocket Booster
• Conclusion

3
Introduction

• Space Shuttle
• vehicle built by NASA that takes off from earth,
  carries a crew and cargo into space, and returns
  to earth to be used again
• consist of a winged orbiter, an external tank,
  and two solid rocket boosters
• 5 shuttles have seen service, 2 have been lost in
  accidents

4
Introduction

• Purpose
• to focus on the management of the space shuttle
  orbiter
• Focus
• the Space Program
• Technology Triangle the government,
  universities, and businesses all play significant
  roles in the management of the space shuttle
  orbiter

5
Introduction

• Space Shuttle Orbiter
• the manned spacecraft element of the Space
  Shuttle system
• can transport up to 56,000 pounds of cargo
• carries a flight crew of four, plus three
  additional passengers
• made up of several components including the crew
  compartment, forward fuselage, mid-fuselage,
  cargo bay doors, aft fuselage, OMS/RCS pods, and
  airplane parts of the orbiter
• Solid Rocket Boosters
• provide the initial thrust and acceleration to
  allow the main engines to carry the orbiter into
  space
• the largest solid-propellant motors ever flown
  and the first designed for reuse
• each booster is 12.17 feet in diameter and 149.16
  feet long

6
History of the Space Shuttle

• Invention of the Space Shuttle
• Enabling Technologies
• Evolving Development of Space Shuttle Orbiter

7
Invention of the Space Shuttle

• Wright Brothers invented the first successful
  flying machine in 1903
• Orbiter includes many of airplane features
• Eugen Sangers spacecraft
• Fly into low-earth orbit and return like typical
  aircraft landings
• Silverbird created in 1931 (based on Sangers
  ideas)
• Propelled by a rocket engine burning liquid
  oxygen and kerosene
• Space studies under management of NASA

8
Invention of the Space Shuttle (contd)

• Apollo 11 developed in 1969 (only able to use
  once)
• manned by 3 astronauts, successfully reached the
  moon, and successfully returned to earth
• Experts began working on reusable spacecraft
  along with Rockwell Internationals Space
  Division, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing
• Other designs developed before space shuttle
• Starclipper developed by Lockheed Martin (had 5
  rocket engines located in the tail)

9
Invention of the Space Shuttle (contd)

• Many designs discarded because the following
  problems
• Availability of rocket engines
• Materials unavailable
• Limitations of payload
• Costs of construction and operation
• In 1972 NASA decided on space shuttle orbiter
• Two challenging problems with development of
  space shuttle (Space shuttle main engines (SSME)
  and Orbital thermal protection system (OTPS))

10
Invention of the Space Shuttle (contd)

• Space shuttle can be used for 10 years and
  maximum cargo weight of 65,000 pounds
• Space shuttle orbiter travels on a disposable
  propellant tank along with its own 3 engines
• The orbiter has two auxiliary booster rocket
  engines that are disconnected from the tank at a
  certain altitude and return to earth (reused for
  later missions)

11
Enabling Technologies

• Two enabling technologies are the external tank
  and the two solid rocket boosters
• External tank contains liquid propellant (liquid
  oxygen and hydrogen)
• Two solid rocket booster fire for 2 minutes then
  ejected and retrieved for reuse
• Dr. Robert H. Goddard was one of the early U.S.
  rocket developers
• Dr. Wernher von Braun of Germany built the V-2
  during WW II (used as a weapon)

12
Enabling Technologies (contd)

• The V-2 was a forerunner of the spacecraft
  introduced by the U.S. and Soviet Union in the
  1950s and 1960s
• Many German rocket scientists and engineers came
  to U.S. later to help U.S. rocket program
• Purpose of U.S. rocket program was to propel a
  satellite to revolve around the earth
• In 1957, Russia launched Sputnik I ( 1st man-made
  satellite to orbit earth)
• In 1958, U.S. launched first satellite, Explorer
  I
• The next stepmanned missions

13
Evolving Development of the Space Shuttle Orbiter

• In 1976, Enterprise was first completed space
  shuttle test model
• In 1981, Columbia launched into orbit
• In 1983, Challenger launched into orbit
• In 1984, Discovery made its first orbital flight
• In 1985, Atlantis launched into orbit
• After Challenger accident in 1986, space shuttle
  was redesigned and NASA worked to develop
  techniques for recovery of lost space vehicles
• In 1992, Endeavour made its first orbital flight

14
Evolving Development of Space Shuttle Orbiter
(contd)

• In 1990, Columbia grounded for leaking hydrogen
• Repairs made to Columbia and Atlantis which was
  also had a leak
• Columbia grounded again in 1999 because of drop
  in voltage

• Many other problems have occurred causing
  reevaluation of systems on the orbiters
• Columbia breaks up on entry into orbit in 2003
• All orbiters are grounded while NASA evaluates
  the situation

15
Roles of Organizations

• The overall role of govt is to develop space
  travel vehicles for space travel and exploration.
• Legislative policy is the tool used by govt to
  maintain space industry.
• National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
  (NACA) formed in 1915, later taken over by NASA,
  drive space industry technology requirements
• Current space industry environment shaped by
• 1962 Communication Satellite Act
• 1984 U.S. Commercial launch and remote sensing
  policy
• Bushs 2004 Presidential directive to explore
  Mars and the Moon
• Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986
• National Competitiveness Technology Transfer Act
  of 1989
• For the past 50 years there has been research and
  development legislation.
• RD has taken the form of NASA U.S. Air Force
  subsidized funds, defense related funding,
  government contracts, and tax incentives
• Large cuts in recent years in govt funded RD
• Spending on RD had declined throughout the 1990s
  to less than half its peak in 1987.
• In 2000, total RD spending, by the govt and
  others, total approximately 10.3 billion,
  accounting for roughly 9 of RD among
  manufacturing.

16
Roles of Organizations

• Role of Private Sector
• Produce space vehicle technologies such as the
  space shuttle orbiter or solid rocket booster.
• Produce technologies for govt such as NASA or
  Air Force
• Produce technologies for private firms to place
  satellites or space travel for consumers
• Role of Academia
• Research and develop new technologies and
  processes
• Educate engineers and scientist to support
  industry

17
Competition between Organizations

• Leaders and Followers
• Independent space contractors design most of the
  space shuttles parts
• No major companies take a lead or backseat role
• Various companies submit their bids on
  development
• NASA chooses their contract companies usually by
  pass performances

18
Competition between Organizations

• Alternative Technologies
• Shuttle replacement may shift away from the lunar
  landing concept
• Develop a vehicle that can handle different
  exploration missions
• New opportunity windows will always be open

19
IP Protection

• OCST has a mandate from Congress to protect the
  public health and safety and must collect certain
  IP secrets from Solid Rocket Booster
  manufacturers
• These designers and manufacturers are reluctant
  to hand over this information for fear that these
  documents may end up in the wrong hands

20
IP Protection

• Patents and Licensing
• SpaceDev has acquired exclusive IP rights to 3
  patents originally issued to Amroc for their
  hybrid rocket motor technology
• Data Dump SpaceDev has also acquired exclusive
  possession of to Amrocs engineering documents,
  plans, designs, test results, and manufacturing
  data
• SpaceDev has exclusive licensing rights for a
  minimum of 5 years

21
Competitive Landscape

• In 1974, NASA chose Alliant Techsystems Thiokol
  (ATK) to design and build the solid rocket
  boosters (SRB).
• One of the strengths of ATK's continued
  development of SRBs has to do with it long
  contractual history with NASA.
• ATK also has competitive advantage with the fact
  that NASA's administrator is in favor of
  continuing the use SRB technology in the proposed
  next generation space vehicles.
• Lockheed Martin and Boeing have been pushing
  their respective Evolved Expendable Launch
  Vehicles (EELV), the Atlas V and Delta IV
  respectively, as the right choice for the next
  generation space vehicles.
• Since its inaugural flight on August 21, 2002,
  Lockheed Martin's Atlas V launch vehicle has
  successfully flown five times.
• SRBs enable the Atlas to flexibly and
  competitively meet varied performance
  requirements for missions from low-Earth orbit to
  geosynchronous orbit.
• The Delta IV is composed of five-vehicle
  configurations based on a common booster core.
• Proven technical features and processes were
  carried over from earlier Delta vehicles to Delta
  IV New technologies and processes were
  incorporated where they added capability or
  reduced cost.
• There is also an issue of proven safety and
  reliability. Boeing has experience failure with
  its Delta III vehicle launch, which illustrates
  the statistical theory that one in the first five
  launch attempt of new launch technology end in
  failure.
• Time and experience are on the side of ATK for
  future NASA space vehicle launches, although
  Boeing and Lockheed Martin are learning customer
  requirements and making up ground quickly.

22
Brights Modified Process

• Brights Modified Process
• Solid rocket boosters are at the verification
  stage
• NASA is working towards
• New prototypes of rocket boosters
• New types of fuel or the elimination of fuel
• Elimination of development of engines
• The verification testing is to make sure that
  there will be no significant problems
• 1980, NASA developed a Space Shuttle
  Verification/Certification Committee

23
Commercialization of Solid Rocket Boosters

• The largest propellant motors ever flown and the
  first designed for reuse
• The current use is for fueling the space shuttle
  into space
• The rocket boosters are parachuted into the sea
  and retrieved for reuse

24
Future of Solid Rocket Booster

• Use of candle fuel for rocket boosters
• Safer and better for environment
• Use of reusable liquid rocket boosters
• Use of electric motor instead of fuel for rocket
  boosters
• Redesigned rocket boosters that land on Earth
  similar to space shuttle
• Continual use by private companies to launch
  satellites into orbit
• Use of rocket boosters to taxi people to space
• Use of air-breathing engine instead of rocket
  boosters

25
Future of Solid Rocket Booster (contd)

• Possibly NASA run by private companies
• Increase in private enterprise in space sector
• Delays in commercialization because of high
  costs, inability to meet the needs of customers,
  slow development process, small number of firms
  involved in development, and unclear
  international space law
• Removing the barriers can enhance
  commercialization (removing excessive expenses,
  increasing demand for commercial launch services,
  and reducing transaction costs

26
Conclusion

• Future for commercialization of solid rocket
  boosters remains unclear because of
• Slow development process of environmentally safe
  rocket fuels
• Slow development of new space vehicle
• Barriers for entry into space sector need to be
  eliminated
• As more non-astronauts want to venture into
  space, private companies will have to spend more
  money in space technologies

27
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