Air Force interest in military spaceplanes stretches back nearly 40
years. This has taken the form of science and
technology development, design
and mission studies, and engineering development programs. Examples of
these
activities include: the first
Aerospaceplane program and Dyna-Soar/X-20 program (late 1950s-early 1960s);
X-15
hypersonic and X-24 lifting body flight test programs (late 1950s through
early 1970s); Advanced Military Space Flight
Capability (AMSC), Transatmospheric Vehicle (TAV), and Military Aerospace
Vehicle (MAV) concept and mission studies
(early 1980s); the Copper Canyon airbreathing single-stage-to-orbit
(SSTO) feasibility assessment and the National
Aerospace Plane (NASP) program (1984-1992); SCIENCE DAWN, SCIENCE REALM,
and HAVE REGION
rocket-powered SSTO feasibility assessments and technology demonstration
programs (late 1980s); and, most recently, the
Ballistic Missile Defense Organization's Single-Stage Rocket Technology
program that built the Delta Clipper-Experimental
(DC-X) experimental reusable spaceplane.
Industry sources are being sought to develop critical technologies for
future military spaceplanes using ground based advanced
technology demonstrations. The first step is envisioned to include
a streamlined acquisition that develops, integrates and tests
these technologies in an Integrated Technology Testbed (ITT). Due to
constrained budgets, the Air Force is seeking innovative,
"out of the box", industry feedback and guidance to: 1) develop and
demonstrate key military spaceplane technologies, 2)
ensure competitive industry military spaceplane concepts are supported
via critical technology demonstrations, and 3) ensure a
viable, competitive military spaceplane industrial base is retained
now and in the future.
The primary objective of the ITT is to develop the MSP Mark I concept
design and hardware with direct scaleability: directly
scaleable weights, margins, loads, design, fabrication methods and
testing approaches; and traceability: technology and general
design similarity, to a full-scale Mark II-IV system. The ITT is intended
to demonstrate the technologies necessary to achieve
systems integration within the mass fraction constraints of Single
Stage to Orbit (SSTO) vehicles. In addition, the ITT will meet
the military operational requirements outlined in the MSP SRD. The
ITT is an unmanned ground demonstration. The Mark I
demonstrator is also envisioned to be unmanned.
The Military Spaceplane (MSP) ITT ground demonstration consists of an
effort to develop a computer testbed model. It may
also include options for multiple technology, component and subsystem
hardware demonstrations to support and enable the
acquisition and deployment of MSP systems early in the next century.
Although the ITT is not a flight demonstrator, it is
anticipated that critical ground Advanced Technology Demonstrator (ATD)
components and subsystems shall be designed,
fabricated and tested with a total systems and flight focus to demonstrate
the potential for military "aircraft like" operations and
support functions. The latter point refers to eventual systems that
1) can be recovered and turned around for another mission in
several hours or less on a routine basis, 2) require minimal ground
and flight crew to conduct routine operations and
maintenance , 3) are durable enough to sustain a mission design life
of hundreds of missions, 4) are designed for ease of
maintenance and repair based on military aircraft reliability, maintainability,
supportability and availability (RMS&A) standards
including the use of line replaceable units to the maximum extent possible,
and 5) can be operated and maintained by military
personnel receiving normal levels of technical training. The ITT effort
is envisioned to culminate with a vigorous integrated test
program that demonstrates how specific components and subsystems are
directly traceable and scaleable to MSP system
requirements and meet or exceed these operational standards.
The testbed itself shall be a computer sizing model of the Military
Spaceplane. Input parameters include mission requirements
and all of the critical component, subsystem and system technical criteria.
Output are the critical design features, size, physical
layout, and performance of the resulting vehicle. The computer model
shall be capable of modeling the technology componenta,
subsystems and systems demonstrated characteristics and the resulting
effect(s) on the Military Spaceplane vehicle concept
design. Although the ITT is required to show analytical component and
subsystem scaleability to SSTO, the contractor may
also show scaleability and traceability to alternative MSP configurations.
Those alternatives may include two stage to orbit
(TSTO) configurations. The ITT is using SSTO as a technology stretch
goal in the initial ground demonstrations. However, a
future Military Spaceplane can use either single or multiple stages.
The contract structure for ITT is anticipated to be Cost Reimbursement
type contracts with possible multiple options and a total
funding of approximately $125-150M. Due to initial funding limitations,
the minimum effort for the contract is anticipated to
consist of a broad conceptual military spaceplane design supported
by a computer testbed model. However, should funding
become available, additional effort may be initiated prior to the conclusion
of the testbed model design. Offerors will be
requested to submit a series of alternatives for delivery of major
technology components and subsystems as well as an
alternative for subsystem/system integration and test.
Upon direction of the Government through exercise of the option(s) the
contractor shall design, fabricate, analyze, and test
Ground Test Articles (GTAs), and provide a risk reduction program for
all critical technology components, subsystems and
subsystems assembly. The contractor will prepare options for an ITT
GTA designs which satisfy the technical objectives of this
SOO, including both scaleability and traceability to the Mark I and
Mark II-IV vehicles. These design shall be presented to the
Government at a System Requirements Review (SRR). The contractor shall
use available technologies and innovative concepts
in the designs, manufacturing processes, assembly and integration process,
and ground test. Designs shall focus on operational
simplicity and minimizing vehicle processing requirements. The contractor
shall provide the detailed layout and systems
engineering analysis required to demonstrate the feasibility and performance
of the Mark I vehicle as well as scaleability and
traceability to the Mark II-IV vehicles. The low cost reusable upper
stage (i.e., mini-spaceplane) is envisioned to be an integral
part of an overall operational MSP system.
The contractor shall use the ITT to implement the initial risk reduction
program that mitigates risks critical to developing both
the Mark I and Mark II-IV MSP configurations. The ITT shall mitigate
risks critical to engineering, operability, technology,
reliability, safety, or schedule and any subsequent risk reduction
program deemed necessary. The program may include early
component fabrication, detailed vehicle integration planning or prudent
factory and ground/flight testing to reduce risks. The
Technology levels will be frozen at three points in the Military Spaceplane
Program (MSP): At the ITT contract award for the
Ground Demonstrator, at contract award for any future Flight Demonstrator,
and at contract award for an orbital system EMD.
Since the ITT is not a propulsion demonstration/integration effort there
are two parallel propulsion efforts. One in NASA for
the X-33 aerospike, and one in the AF for the Integrated Powerhead
Demonstration ( IPD). It is anticipated that the Mark I
demonstrator would use an existing engine. Propulsion modifications
and integration will be addressed in the offerors concept
design but limited funding probably precludes any new engine development.
The contractor should evaluate the use of the
Integrated Powerhead Demonstration (IPD) XLR-13X engine as a risk reduction
step being done in parallel and as a baseline
engine for MSP. LOX/LH2 offers an excellent propellant combination
for future Military Spaceplanes. Nearer term
demonstrators, however, may be asked to use alternative propellants
with superior operability characteristics.
MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE MISSION SETS
Maximum Performance Missions Sets are system defining and encompass
the four missions and the Design Reference
Missions. Instead of giving a threshold and objective for each mission
requirement, missions sets are defined. Each mission set
will define a point solution and provide visibility into the sensitivities
of the requirements from the thresholds (Mark I) to the
objective (Mark IV). If takeoff and landing bases are constrained to
the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), this will reduce
stated pop-up payloads by at least half.
Mark I (Demonstrator or ACTD non-orbital vehicle that can only pop up)
Pop-up profile: Approximately Mach 16 at 300
kft at payload separation
Pop up and deliver 1 to 3 klbs of mission
assets (does not include boost stage, aeroshell, guidance or propellant)
to any
terrestrial destination
Pop up and deliver 3 to 5 klbs of orbital
assets (does not include upperstage) due east to a 100 x 100 NM orbit
Payload bay size 10' x 5' x 5', weight capacity
10 klbs
Mark II (Orbit capable vehicle)
Pop up and deliver 7 to 9 klbs of mission assets
(does not include boost stage, aeroshell, guidance or propellant) to any
terrestrial destination
Pop up and deliver 15 klbs of orbital assets
(does not include upperstage) due east to a 100 x 100 NM orbit
Launch due east, carrying 4-klb payload, orbit
at 100 x 100 NM
Payload bay size 25' x 12' x 12', weight capacity
20 klbs
Mark III
Pop up and deliver 14 to 18 klbs of mission
assets (does not include boost stage, aeroshell, guidance or propellant)
to
any terrestrial destination
Pop up and deliver 25 klbs of orbital assets
(does not include upperstage) due east to a 100 x 100 NM orbit
Launch due east, carrying a 6-klb payload,
orbit at 100 x 100 NM and return to base
Launch polar, carrying 1-klb payload and return
to base
Payload bay size 25' x 12' x 12', weight capacity
40 klbs
Mark IV
Pop up and deliver 20 to 30 klbs of mission
assets (does not include boost stage, aeroshell, guidance or propellant)
to
any terrestrial destination
Pop up and deliver 45 klbs of orbital assets
(does not include upperstage) due east to a 100 x 100 NM orbit
Launch due east, carrying a 20-klb payload,
orbit at 100 x 100 NM and return to base
Launch polar, carrying 5-klb payload and return
to base
Payload bay size 45' x 15' x 15', weight capacity
60 klbs
REFERENCE MISSIONS TO MISSION SETS MATRIX
Ref Mission Mark I Mark II Mark III Mark IV
Payload Bay Data 10'
x 5' x 25' x 12' x 25' x 12' x
45' x 15' x
5' 12'
12'
15'
10 klbs 20 klbs
40 klbs 60 klbs
DRM 1 (Pop up and 1-3
klb 7 to 9 klb 14 to 18
klb 20 to 30 klb
deliver mission
assets)
DRM 2 (Pop up and 3-5
klb 15 klb
25 klb 45 klb
deliver orbit assets
due east 100 x 100 NM)
DRM 3 (Co-Orbit)
N/A 4 klb due
6 klb due east 20 klb due
east 100 x 100 x 100 NM east 100 x 100
100 NM
NM
DRM 4 (Recover) N/A TBD TBD TBD
DRM 5 (Polar Once
N/A N/A
1 klb 5 klb
Around)
NOTES:
Mission asset weight is a core weight and does not include a boost stage, aeroshell, guidance or propellant.
Orbital asset weight does not include an upperstage.
Requirements Matrix for Mark II, III and IV
(Desired for Mark I)
