(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Reusable NewSpace: Orbital Vehicle [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-19 “Come on. Let’s go space trucking.” – Deep Purple TABLE OF CONTENTS =<<>>= OV ARCHITECTURE The Orbital Vehicle (OV) is the second most important vehicle in order to have a viable and profitable space program. However, without the VentureStar, the OV will go nowhere. Image 1: The OTV is a versatile machine indeed. It is astonishing to note that the OV concept is almost as old as NASA itself. They called it a space tug and it could carry cargo and/or a crew. A more fitting descriptor for this vehicle should really be space "truck" instead of space "tug," since it could haul payload from one location to another (Image 1). The NASA OV was designed to fit inside the Space Shuttle payload bay so that it can be transported into outer space. This space truck would augment orbital spaceflight and allow humans to reach farther than the spaceliner can. Our space truck will be an updated version of an old Boeing Orbital Vehicle design first revealed in 1972. =<<>>= Image 2: Diagram of the OV Intelligence Module OV INTELLIGENCE MODULE The OV Intelligence Module (IM) is the brains of the operation (Image 2). Total mass of the IM is 427 kg. The Reaction Control System (RCS) and Fuel Cell are housed in the IM. Each is operated using LH 2 and LO 2 . Gaseous Hydrogen (GH 2 ) will be used for pressurization of the OV and IM LH 2 tanks. Gaseous Nitrogen (GN 2 ) will be used for pressurization of the OV and IM LO 2 and LN 2 tanks. Wastewater (WLH 2 O) generated as a byproduct of the Fuel Cell will be dumped overboard. =<<>>= OV POWERPLANT The space truck will be powered by the Aerojet/Rocketdyne RL10C–2–1 rocket engine. The nozzle is extended to add 3 seconds to the Specific Impulse (Isp) of the rocket engine. The rocket engine specifications are given in the Table below. Thrust 110,093 N Mass 276 kg Nozzle Extension Mass 25 kg Nozzle Diameter 2.15 m Length (Nozzle Extended) 4.15 m Isp (Nozzle Extended) 465.5 s Vexh (Nozzle Extended) 4.565 kps Mixture Ratio 5.88 :1 =<<>>= OV AIRFRAME The Orbital Vehicle (OV) is really nothing more than a standard space vehicle and propellant tanks and a rocket engine. The basic OV design has been around for half a century (Image 3). Image 3: The OV internal view The top of the space truck will have the USIS Docking Ring to mechanically connect payload. Between the LH 2 and LO 2 tanks is the Intelligence Module (IM). Electrical power will be provided by a fuel cell being fed cryogenics. The IM also houses the four Reaction Control System (RCS) quads. The propellant for the quads will come from the main OV propellant tanks. The quads will burn 11 kg of propellant per day, which gives an 8–day operational duration. The OV will have the propellant tanks replenished for refurbishment and reuse whilst in space. The OV will carry 18,053 kg of propellant, and have the capability of purging the propellant tanks as well. Image 4: The OV external view The Cargo Hold Guide Rails (CHGR) are used to secure the OV to the VentureStar Cargo Hold. The exterior of the space truck (Image 4) will be painted white to help offset increased internal heating. The RCS will be located in each of the rounded corners. Our spacecraft begins its life as a Core Orbital Unit. This module is the basic building block upon which other components are attached. The OV inert mass specifications are summarized in Table 3, and the OV propellant mass specifications are summarized below the table. Propellant boiloff is approximately 14 kg per day. Top Docking Ring 48 kg Propellant Tanks and Structure 1,178 kg Intelligence Module 427 kg Liquid Nitrogen 62 kg RCS and Fuel Cell Propellant 88 kg RCS Quads (4) 27 kg Side Propellant Input Docking Ring 1 73 kg Side Propellant Input Docking Ring 2 73 kg RL10C–2–1 Rocket Engine 276 kg Rocket Nozzle Extension 25 kg Total OV Inert Mass 2,276 kg Stage Mass = Inert Mass + Propellant Mass = 2276 + 18053 = 20,329 kg Mass Ratio = Propellant Mass / Stage Mass = 18053 / 20329 = 0.888 Image 5: OV loaded into RV cargo bag and attached to propellant output The OV will be inserted into RV cargo bay in the same manner as the all other cargo, except one other item will be added. The OV will need to be filled with propellant, and the best way to do that is while sitting on the launch pad. We will therefore add two Propellant Output Docking Collars into the cargo bay so that two vehicles can be filled at the same time. The propellant hardware should have a mass of no more than a few hundred kilograms. Once the vehicles are loaded, the Propellant Input Docking Collar attaches to the RV Propellant Output Docking Collar (Image 5). Once the RV is placed on the Launch Pad and begins to fill its propellant tanks, it will also fill up the OV propellant tanks at the same time. =<<>>= OV COMMAND AND CONTROL The Orbital Vehicle will be controlled remotely like any other drone aircraft. Command and Control will look no different than the trenches at Mission Control Center at NASA. There will, however, be one glaring difference: the existence of what looks to be a static simulator of the OV cockpit. The layout has one pilot, with a glass cockpit and what looks like large screen TVs in the place of windows in front and on the sides of the pilots. The crew operates the OV spacecraft remotely, from undock to redocking. =<<>>= OV LIFETIME The OV will be operated an average of 24 times per year, which equals 96 sorties in a four–year period of time. The spacecraft will then be replaced, with the old OV deleted from the fleet. =<<>>= OV DISPOSAL Once the OV has reached its operational lifetime, it will need to be properly disposed of. The first few OVs will be brought down from space and displayed at the Spaceport America Museum that we plan to build in the future. The OV can also be refilled one last time as sent into the solar system on a one-way mission carrying the latest in scientific equipment. If need be, OVs can be disposed of by flying into the atmosphere and burning up whilst carrying trash. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/19/2243451/-Reusable-NewSpace-Orbital-Vehicle?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/