Launch Vehicle/Carrier Interaction, Improving the Analytical Integration Process

A goal of the aerospace industry is to reduce the cost of space transportation by a significant within the next decade. The present cost of launching a space transportation system which includes propulsion system, vehicle, carrier, and payload integrated together to form a system, encompasses much more than the design of the propulsion system and vehicle. The total cost includes the recurring cost of the process of integrating carriers, and payloads into the vehicle for each flight. The recurring cost of the integration of carrier/payloads systems is driven by the interaction of the vehicle. If the interaction can be well characterized and made to be very predictable for a range of payloads, or if it can be minimized then the cost of integrating a payload can be reduced significantly from today's levels. The Space Shuttle is very interactive with the payload. The interaction has been well characterized through finite element modeling and is reasonably predictable for a specific payload. Experience has shown, however, that the interaction is very manifest dependent, and small changes in one portion of a payload complement can change the interaction significantly in another portion. That is the affects of one on the other are such that if one or the other is changed slightly the environment at the interfaces can change significantly. To date the Shuttle has made in excess of one hundred flights. For each of these flights several iterations of dynamic analyses have been required in the development of each vehicle/carrier/payload system. The iterative analyses are needed because of the sensitivity of the interaction of the launch vehicle to the attached carrier/payload. The Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) is a carrier designed for flight in the Space Shuttle carrying a wide variation of cargo, supplies, and experiments to and from Space Station. Its integration process provides a unique area for improvement in the template in use today for transporting items to space. Discussion of the present MPLM integration analysis requirements and possible areas for improvement of the process are provided in the subject paper. Special emphasis is placed on reduction of requirements based on similarity of items being transported, and the use of carrier hardware for protection of the Shuttle Orbiter.