Design study of a slant-nose-cylinder aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicle

A slant-nose-cylinder aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicle configuration is described and analyzed in this study. The vehicle is sized for a 12,000 lb roundtrip payload between low earth orbit and geosynchronous orbit and is assumed to be space based. The vehicle can be fabricated using near-term technologies and is fully reusable. Optional advanced technologies offer potential for improved performance. The vehicle can be assembled on the ground and carried to orbit in the Shuttle cargo bay. An enclosed payload bay is provided in the vehicle to protect payloads during the pass through the atmosphere. The payload bay capacity can be increased from a 10 ft to a 14 ft diameter payload by replacing a modular section of the payload bay in space. The results of calculations used to size the vehicle and to predict its performance and weight are presented.