RLV Hopper: Consolidated System Concept

Physics

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

The Hopper, a concept for a reusable launch system was developed and found attractive in the frame of FESTIP, ESA's Future European Space Transportation Initiation Programme. Later, in the national German ASTRA programme the Hopper concept was adapted to newly emerged requirements and subjected to a detailed design loop. Taking off horizontally and staging at high sub-orbital velocity, the Hopper needs a rail-guided launch sled, downrange landing, re-transportation back to the launch site, and one, but only one upper stage. Horizontal take-off is used to improve safety and to reduce thrust requirement, and number mass and cost of main engines, and also problems with vehicle centring. Transportation of the cargo (e.g. payload and expendable upper stage) in the RLV reduces the number of the aerodynamically affected flight configurations to one. Staging at high sub-orbital velocity above the sensible atmosphere enables the use of only one standardised upper stage for all missions. Using a cryogenic upper stage the Hopper system is nearly optimally staged for the dimensioning GTO mission. The paper describes the consolidated Hopper system concept and highlights areas of special interest, evolution potential, and further steps.

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