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BUILD REQUEST: reusable mini-ITS (RSS)


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Hey everybody!

In the Science & Spaceflight subforum and over at NSF, I've been discussing a proposed reusable methalox upper stage for the Falcon family as a precursor to SpaceX's ITS programs. The Air Force has already given SpaceX funding to develop a methalox upper stage, so this is something that's quite probable. In the Ideas for a fully reusable launch vehicle thread, I outlined a 4-meter-wide biconic spacecraft with some pretty cool capabilities.

Ascent.png

ascent3.png

By the numbers:

  • Dry mass: 11.07 tonnes
  • Propellant type: subcooled methalox
  • Propellant mass: 141.5 tonnes
  • Main propulsion: 2x development Raptors
  • Auxiliary landing propulsion: 8x pressure-fed methalox thrusters
  • Main propulsion thrust: 2,291.6 kN (vacuum only)
  • Main propulsion isp: 381 s (vacuum only)
  • Auxiliary propulsion thrust: 736 kN vacuum, 688 kN SL
  • Auxiliary propulsion isp: 326 s vacuum, 305 s SL
  • TPS: PICA-X

It's fully reusable. EDL on Earth (or Mars) looks like this (taken from the Mid-L/D NASA MAV concept; not representative of vehicle design):

Mid-_LD.png

As shown in the mockup, the landing thrusters are covered by TPS-equipped panels; these actuate on landing to serve as landing skids/legs. Split flaps or other control surfaces can be used for control during re-entry.

This upper stage serves as a drop-in replacement for the current Falcon 9 upper stage and can be launched on Falcon 9 FT or Falcon Heavy. By my estimates, it should be able to outperform the current upper stage for F9 and FH while reserving plenty of propellant for landing.

The wing extensions are symmetric in two planes and come out from the body not unlike the ITS winglet extensions, as shown loosely in this rough sketch of a launch on a Falcon 9 Block 5 first stage:

ascent2.png

I would love to build this myself and simulate flying, etc., but I only have the demo and I don't have RSS or procedural parts. If anyone has RSS and procedural parts and would love to take a whack at building this, I would love to see the finished product! It would be really cool to see simulated EDL on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Can't give you anything for it other than mad props, but if you've got the time, I'd really be thrilled to see. I think a few other people would as well.

Edited by sevenperforce
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