SBIR-STTR Award

As minimum cost will be required for a dedicated NanoSat Launch Vehicle, a series and parallel staged, highly modular vehicle architecture is proposed for design exploration. The principal advantage of a modular architecture on this size vehicle is a single propulsion development at a relatively small scale which drastically shortens development timelines and cost. A candidate launch vehicle could use 7 modules for the first stage, 4 for the second, 2 for the third, and 1 for the fourth. Whittinghill Aerospace proposes to investigate many modular designs for 3, 4, and 5 stage vehicles of different (solid, liquid, and hybrid) propellant types. Structural, aerodynamic, propulsion, and control configurations of vehicles will be optimized and "flown" with a trajectory tool to evaluate performance. After trades and analyses are completed and designs ranked, the resulting optimum module size will then be built and tested at an anticipated 1 to 3Klb thrust level. At the conclusion of Phase 1, the technology will be ready for flight development and will be at a TRL level of 5. At the end of Phase 2, a full-scale, 2-stage sub-orbital modular vehicle will have flown.

As minimum cost will be required for a dedicated Nano-Sat Launch Vehicle, a parallel staged, highly modular vehicle architecture is proposed for development. The principal advantage of a modular architecture for this size of vehicle is the single propulsion development for the boost stages at a relatively small scale. This approach drastically shortens development timelines and cost. A candidate launch vehicle with a cluster of seven identical modules would light 4 modules for the first stage, 2 for the second, 1 for the third, and fire 1 small spinning Apogee Kick Motor (AKM) for the fourth. Whittinghill Aerospace (WASP) proposes to refine the Phase 1 design of an all-composite, N2O-fed Hybrid Rocket Motor (HRM) propelled, 25 kg to LEO launcher. WASP will then build and fire the AKM, build and fire the core module HRM, then launch the full-scale core module as an unguided sounding rocket from a commercial range. At the conclusion of Phase 2, the technology will be at a TRL level of 6.