Sven Stappert, Martin Sippel, Steffen Callsen, Leonid Bussler
DOI Number XXX-YYY-ZZZ
Conference Number HiSST-2022-186
Reusability is expected to significantly lower launch costs if refurbishment and recovery costs can be
kept low. To analyze and understand the impact of reusability on launch systems, the DLR is conducting
studies of reusable space transportation configurations. In this context, a range of promising semireusable launch vehicles with a winged reusable first stage and either one or two expendable upper
stages for an injection into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) were designed and investigated.
Different engine and propellant combinations, using either LOX-LH2 or LOX-LCH4, were studied in order
to identify potentials and drawbacks of each combination. The winged first stage is recovered by the
“In-Air-Capturing” method which is currently studied in the framework of the Horizon 2020 funded
project FALCon. A special focus is put onto the aerodynamic behavior of the winged stages. Since the
stage performs a mostly aerodynamically controlled re-entry, transitioning from supersonic velocity of
Mach 6-9 down to subsonic velocity, the vehicle has to be controllable throughout a vast range of
different aerodynamic states. Therefore, a reference stage from the system analysis is selected and
subjected to an investigation of dynamic behavior, controllability and stability along a reference
trajectory. The insights from this analysis shall be used to re-evaluate the system design and determine
implications on a system level.