Documents / Report
This Defense Intelligence Reference Document, prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency and dated 8 March 2010, was produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It gives a historical and technical review of how to reach space and return. It covers hypersonic gliders, air-breathing and rocket propulsion, thermodynamics and materials, and launch options. It argues that reliable, schedulable access to low Earth orbit is mainly a hardware and propulsion problem rather than a technology one.
“The Advance”12 pages
UNCLASSIFIED/ }F81il 8FFI1il.t.k Wfili &,.kY • Meteoroid penetration or spalling of the thin refractory metal shingles may be a problem during a 180-day stay on orbital storage as a rescue vehicle, and some form of protection may be required. • A readily refurbishable and repairable heat-protection system consisting of a water- cooled inner body, insulation, and a radiation-cooled external surface is recommended. The goal was to build a test vehicle that initially would achieve at least mach 6.5 at 100,000 feet (30,480 meters) for at least 5 minutes test time. As scramjets became available, that would be extended to higher mach numbers and altitudes. As part of the spacecraft definition study, four fuels were considered: hydrogen, kerosene (JP-5), methane, and propane. The propulsion systems considered were: • Turbojet-ramjet/scramjet. • Integrated turboramjet. • Rocket-ramjet/scramjet. • Carrier aircraft/vehicle with ramjet/scramjet spacecraft. The closest study to respond to these findings was the NASA-sponsored HyFAC studies executed by McDonnell Aircraft Company of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. 34 45 UNCLASSIFIED,'1P8"1 8PPll!l"'I! l!l!il! 8111!¥
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 56 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.