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Extending the life and recycle capability of earth storable propellant systems.Rocket propulsion systems for reusable vehicles will be required to operate reliably for a large number of missions with a minimum of maintenance and a fast turnaround. For the space shuttle reaction control system to meet these requirements, current and prior related system failures were examined for their impact on reuse and, where warranted, component design and/or system configuration changes were defined for improving system service life. It was found necessary to change the pressurization component arrangement used on many single-use applications in order to eliminate a prevalent check valve failure mode and to incorporate redundant expulsion capability in propellant tank designs to achieve the necessary system reliability. Material flaws in pressurant and propellant tanks were noted to have a significant effect on tank cycle life. Finally, maintenance considerations dictated a modularized systems approach, allowing the system to be removed from the vehicle for service and repair at a remote site.
Document ID
19730031829
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Schweickert, T. F.
(McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. St. Louis, Mo., United States)
Date Acquired
August 7, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 1972
Subject Category
Space Vehicles
Report/Patent Number
SAE PAPER 720837
Meeting Information
Meeting: National Aerospace Engineering and Manufacturing Meeting
Location: San Diego, CA
Start Date: October 2, 1972
End Date: October 5, 1972
Sponsors: Society of Automotive Engineers
Accession Number
73A16631
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS9-12013
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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