Jump to content

Reusable launch vehicle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromHyperion SSTO)
Booster hooked up on a crane
Recovery ofFalcon 9first-stage booster after itsfirst landing
Part ofa serieson
Spaceflight
History
Applications
Spacecraft
Robotic spacecraft
Crewed spacecraft
Space launch
Spaceflight types
List of space organizations
Spaceflight portal

Areusable launch vehiclehas parts that can be recovered and reflown, while carryingpayloadsfrom the surface toouter space.Rocket stagesare the most commonlaunch vehicleparts aimed for reuse. Smaller parts such asrocket enginesandboosterscan also be reused, thoughreusable spacecraftmay be launched on top of an expendable launch vehicle. Reusable launch vehicles do not need to make these parts for each launch, therefore reducing itslaunch costsignificantly. However, these benefits are diminished by the cost of recovery and refurbishment.

Reusable launch vehicles may contain additionalavionicsandpropellant,making them heavier than their expendable counterparts. Reused parts may need toenter the atmosphereand navigate through it, so they are often equipped withheat shields,grid fins,and otherflight control surfaces.By modifying their shape,spaceplanescan leverageaviationmechanics to aid in its recovery, such asglidingorlift.In the atmosphere,parachutesorretrorocketsmay also be needed to slow it down further. Reusable parts may also need specialized recovery facilities such asrunwaysorautonomous spaceport drone ships.Some concepts rely on ground infrastructures such asmass driversto accelerate the launch vehicle beforehand.

Since at least in the early 20th century,single-stage-to-orbitreusable launch vehicles have existed inscience fiction.In the 1960s and 1970s, the first reusable launch vehicles were manufactured, named theSpace ShuttleandEnergia.However, in the 1990s, due to both programs' failure to meet expectations, reusable launch vehicle concepts were reduced to prototype testing. The rise ofprivate spaceflightcompanies in the 2000s and 2010s lead to a resurgence of their development, such as inSpaceShipOne,New Shepard,Electron,Falcon 9,andFalcon Heavy.Many launch vehicles are now expected to debut with reusability in the 2020s, such asStarship,New Glenn,Neutron,Soyuz-7,Ariane Next,Long March,Terran R,and the Dawn Mk-II Aurora.[1]

The impact of reusability in launch vehicles has been foundational in the space flight industry. So much so that in 2024, theCape Canaveral Space Force Stationinitiated a 50 year forward looking plan for the Cape that involved major infrastructure upgrades (including toPort Canaveral) to support a higher anticipated launch cadence and landing sites for the new generation of vehicles.[2]

Configurations[edit]

Reusable launch systems may be either fully or partially reusable.

Fully reusable launch vehicle[edit]

Several companies are currently developing fully reusable launch vehicles as of March 2024. Each of them is working on atwo-stage-to-orbitsystem.SpaceXis testingStarship,which has been in development since 2016 and has madean initial test flightin April 2023[3]and 3 more flights as of June 2024.Blue Origin,withProject Jarvis,began development work by early 2021, but has announced no date for testing and have not discussed the project publicly.[4]Stoke Spaceis also developing a rocket which is planned to be reusable.[5][6]

As of June 2024,Starship is the onlylaunch vehicleintended to be fully reusable that has been fully built and tested. The most recent test flight was on June 6, 2024, in which the vehicle completed a suborbital launch and recovered both stages for the first time. TheSuper Heavybooster touched down softly in theGulf of Mexico.The Ship completed its first successful reentry and returned for a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The test marked the first instance that could be considered meeting all requirements to be fully reusable.[7]

Partially reusable launch systems[edit]

Partial reusable launch systems, in the form of multiple stage to orbit systems have been so far the only reusable configurations in use.

Specific component reuse[edit]

The historicSpace Shuttlereused itsSolid Rocket Boosters,itsRS-25engines and theSpace Shuttle orbiterthat acted as an orbital insertion stage, but it did not reuse theExternal Tankthat fed the RS-25 engines. This is an example of a reusable launch system which reuses specific components of rockets.ULA’sVulcan Centaurwill specifically reuse the first stage engines, while the tank is expended. The engines will splashdown on an inflatableaeroshell,then be recovered. On 23 February 2024, one of the nine Merlin engines a powering aFalcon 9booster reached orbit for the 22nd time. It is already the most renowned rocket engine to date[citation needed],surpassingSpace Shuttle Main Engineno. 2019's record of 19 flights on its 20th flight.

Liftoff stages[edit]

As of 2024,Falcon 9andFalcon Heavyare the only orbital rockets to reuse their boosters, although multiple other systems are in development. All aircraft-launched rockets reuse the aircraft.

Other than that a range ofnon-rocket liftoff systemshave been proposed and explored over time as reusable systems for liftoff, from balloons[8][relevant?]tospace elevators.Existing examples are systems which employ winged horizontal jet-engine powered liftoff. Such aircraft canair launchexpendable rockets and can because of that be considered partially reusable systems if the aircraft is thought of as the first stage of the launch vehicle. An example of this configuration is theOrbital Sciences Pegasus.For suborbital flight theSpaceShipTwouses for liftoff a carrier plane, itsmothershiptheScaled Composites White Knight Two.Rocket Lab is working onNeutron,and theEuropean Space Agencyis working onThemis.Both vehicles are planned to recover the first stage.[9][10]

Orbital insertion stages[edit]

So far, most launch systems achieveorbital insertionwith at least partially expendedmultistaged rockets,particularly with the second and third stages. Only theSpace Shuttlehas achieved a reuse of the orbital insertion stage, by using the engines and fuel tank ofits orbiter.TheBuran spaceplaneandStarship spacecraftare two other reusable spacecraft that were designed to be able to act as orbital insertion stages and have been produced, however the former only made one uncrewed test flight before the project was cancelled, and the latter is not yet operational, having completedfour orbital test flights,as of June 2024, which achieved all of its mission objectives at the fourth flight.

Reusable spacecraft[edit]

Main article:Reusable spacecraft

Launch systems can be combined with reusable spaceplanes or capsules. TheSpace Shuttle orbiter,SpaceShipTwo,Dawn Mk-II Aurora, and the under-development IndianRLV-TDare examples for a reusable space vehicle (aspaceplane) as well as a part of its launch system.

More contemporarily theFalcon 9launch system has carried reusable vehicles such as theDragon 2andX-37,transporting two reusable vehicles at the same time.

Contemporary reusable orbital vehicles include the X-37, theDream Chaser,the Dragon 2, the Indian RLV-TD and the upcoming EuropeanSpace Rider(successor to theIXV).

As with launch vehicles, all pure spacecraft during the early decades of human capacity to achieve spaceflight were designed to be single-use items. This was true both forsatellitesandspace probesintended to be left in space for a long time, as well as any object designed to return to Earth such ashuman-carryingspace capsulesor the sample return canisters of space matter collection missions likeStardust(1999–2006)[11]orHayabusa(2005–2010).[12][13]Exceptions to the general rule for space vehicles were the USGemini SC-2,theSoviet UnionspacecraftVozvraschaemyi Apparat (VA),the USSpace Shuttle orbiter(mid-1970s-2011, with 135 flights between 1981 and 2011) and the SovietBuran(1980-1988, with just one uncrewed test flight in 1988). Both of these spaceships were also an integral part of the launch system (providing launch acceleration) as well as operating as medium-duration spaceships inspace.This began to change in the mid-2010s.

In the 2010s, thespace transport cargo capsulefrom one of the suppliers resupplying theInternational Space Stationwas designed for reuse, and after 2017,[14]NASA began to allow the reuse of the SpaceXDragon cargo spacecrafton these NASA-contracted transport routes. This was the beginning of design and operation of areusable space vehicle.

TheBoeing Starlinercapsules also reduce their fall speed with parachutes and deploy an airbag shortly before touchdown on the ground, in order to retrieve and reuse the vehicle.

As of 2021,SpaceX is currently building and testing theStarshipspaceship to be capable of surviving multiplehypersonicreentries through the atmosphereso that they become truly reusable long-duration spaceships; no Starship operational flights have yet occurred.

Entry systems[edit]

Main article:Atmospheric entry
See also:Air brake (aeronautics),Aerobraking,Aeroshell,Gravity turn,andOrbital injection

Heat shield[edit]

See also:Atmospheric entry § Thermal protection systems

With possible inflatableheat shields,as developed by the US (Low Earth Orbit Flight Test Inflatable Decelerator - LOFTID)[15]and China,[16]single-use rockets like theSpace Launch Systemare considered to be retrofitted with such heat shields to salvage the expensive engines, possibly reducing the costs of launches significantly.[17]Heat shields allow an orbiting spacecraft to land safely without expending very much fuel. They need not take the form of inflatable heat shields, they may simply take the form of heat-resistant tiles that preventheat conduction.Heat shields are also proposed for use in combination with retrograde thrust to allow for full reusability as seen inStarship.

Retrograde thrust[edit]

Main articles:RetrorocketandThrust reversal

Reusable launch system stages such as theFalcon 9and theNew Shepardemploy retrograde burns for re-entry, and landing.[citation needed]

Landing systems[edit]

Reusable systems can come insingleor multiple (twoorthree) stages to orbit configurations. For some or all stages the following landing system types can be employed.

Types[edit]

Parachutes and airbags[edit]

Main articles:Splashdown,Airbag § Spacecraft airbag landing systems,andParachute
See also:Water landing

These are landing systems that employ parachutes and bolstered hard landings, like in asplashdownat sea or a touchdown at land. The latter may require an engine burn just before landing as parachutes alone cannot slow the craft down enough to prevent injury to astronauts. This can be seen in the Soyuz capsule.

Though such systems have been in use since the beginning ofastronauticsto recover space vehicles, only later have the vehicles been reused.

E.g.:

Horizontal (winged)[edit]

Main article:Spaceplane

Single or main stages, as well asfly-back boosterscan employ a horizontal landing system. These vehicles land on earth much like a plane does, but they usually do not use propellant during landing.

Examples are:

A variant is an in-air-capture tow back system, advocated by a company called EMBENTION with its FALCon project.[18]

Vehicles that land horizontally on a runway require wings and undercarriage. These typically consume about 9-12% of the landing vehicle mass,[citation needed]which either reduces the payload or increases the size of the vehicle. Concepts such aslifting bodiesoffer some reduction in wing mass,[citation needed]as does thedelta wingshape of theSpace Shuttle.

Vertical (retrograde)[edit]

Main articles:VTVL,Retrorocket,andThrust reversal

Systems like theMcDonnell Douglas DC-X (Delta Clipper)and those bySpaceXare examples of a retrograde system. The boosters ofFalcon 9andFalcon Heavyland using one of their nine engines. TheFalcon 9rocket is the first orbital rocket to vertically land its first stage on the ground. The first stage ofStarshipis planned to land vertically, while the second is to be caught by arms after performing most of the typical steps of a retrograde landing.Blue Origin'sNew Shepardsuborbital rocket also lands vertically back at the launch site.

Retrograde landing typically requires about 10% of the total first stage propellant, reducing the payload that can be carried due to therocket equation.[19]

Landing using aerostatic force[edit]

There is also the concept of a launch vehicle with an inflatable, reusable first stage. The shape of this structure will be supported by excess internal pressure (using light gases). It is assumed that the bulk density of the first stage (without propellant) is less than the bulk density of air. Upon returning from flight, such a first stage remains floating in the air (without touching the surface of the Earth). This will ensure that the first stage is retained for reuse. Increasing the size of the first stage increases aerodynamic losses. This results in a slight decrease in payload. This reduction in payload is compensated for by the reuse of the first stage.[20]

Constraints[edit]

Extra weight[edit]

Reusable stages weigh more than equivalentexpendable stages.This is unavoidable due to the supplementary systems, landing gear and/or surplus propellant needed to land a stage. The actual mass penalty depends on the vehicle and the return mode chosen.[21]

Refurbishment[edit]

After the launcher lands, it may need to be refurbished to prepare it for its next flight. This process may be lengthy and expensive. The launcher may not be able to be recertified as human-rated after refurbishment, although SpaceX has flown reused Falcon 9 boosters for human missions. There is eventually a limit on how many times a launcher can be refurbished before it has to be retired, but how often a launcher can be reused differs significantly between the various launch system designs.

History[edit]

With the development ofrocket propulsionin the first half of the twentieth century,space travelbecame a technical possibility.

Early ideas of a single-stage reusablespaceplaneproved unrealistic and although even the first practical rocket vehicles (V-2) could reach the fringes of space, reusable technology was too heavy. In addition, many early rockets were developed to deliver weapons, making reuse impossible by design. The problem of mass efficiency was overcome by using multiple expendable stages in a vertical launchmultistage rocket.USAF and NACA had been studying orbital reusable spaceplanes since 1958, e.g.Dyna-Soar,but the first reusable stages did not fly until the advent of the USSpace Shuttlein 1981.

20th century[edit]

McDonnell Douglas DC-Xused vertical takeoff and vertical landing

Perhaps the first reusable launch vehicles were the ones conceptualized and studied byWernher von Braunfrom 1948 until 1956. TheVon Braun Ferry Rocketunderwent two revisions: once in 1952 and again in 1956. They would have landed using parachutes.[22][23]

TheGeneral Dynamics Nexuswas proposed in the 1960s as a fully reusable successor to the Saturn V rocket, having the capacity of transporting up to 450–910 t (990,000–2,000,000 lb) to orbit.[24][25]See alsoSea Dragon,andDouglas SASSTO.

TheBAC Mustardwas studied starting in 1964. It would have comprised three identical spaceplanes strapped together and arranged in two stages. During ascent the two outer spaceplanes, which formed the first stage, would detach and glide back individually to earth. It was canceled after the last study of the design in 1967 due to a lack of funds for development.[26]

NASA started theSpace Shuttle design processin 1968, with the vision of creating a fully reusablespaceplaneusing a crewedfly-back booster.This concept proved expensive and complex, therefore the design was scaled back to reusablesolid rocketboosters and an expendableexternal tank.[27][28]Space ShuttleColumbialaunched and landed 27 times and was lost with all crew on the 28th landing attempt;Challenger launched and landed 9 times and was lost with all crew on the 10th launch attempt;Discoverylaunched and landed 39 times;Atlantislaunched and landed 33 times.

In 1986 PresidentRonald Reagancalled for an air-breathingscramjetNational Aerospace Plane(NASP)/X-30.The project failed due to technical issues and was canceled in 1993.[29]

In the late 1980s a fully reusable version of theEnergiarocket, the Energia II, was proposed. Its boosters and core would have had the capability of landing separately on a runway.[30]

In the 1990s theMcDonnell DouglasDelta ClipperVTOL SSTO proposal progressed to the testing phase. TheDC-Xprototype demonstrated rapid turnaround time and automatic computer control.

In mid-1990s, British research evolved an earlierHOTOLdesign into the far more promisingSkylondesign, which remains in development.

From the late 1990s to the 2000s, theEuropean Space Agencystudied the recovery of theAriane 5solid rocketboosters.[31]The last recovery attempt took place in 2009.[32]

The commercial ventures,Rocketplane KistlerandRotary Rocket,attempted to build reusable privately developed rockets before going bankrupt.[citation needed]

NASA proposed reusable concepts to replace the Shuttle technology, to be demonstrated under theX-33andX-34programs, which were both cancelled in the early 2000s due to rising costs and technical issues.

21st century[edit]

Scaled Composites SpaceShipOneused horizontal landing after being launched from a carrier airplane
Falcon Heavyside boosters landing during 2018demonstration mission.

TheAnsari X Prizecontest was intended to develop private suborbital reusable vehicles. Many private companies competed, with the winner,Scaled Composites,reaching theKármán linetwice in a two-week period with their reusableSpaceShipOne.

In 2012,SpaceXstarted a flight test program withexperimental vehicles.These subsequently led to the development of theFalcon 9reusable rocket launcher.[33]

On 23 November 2015 theNew Shepardrocket became the firstVertical Take-off, Vertical Landing(VTVL) sub-orbital rocket to reach space by passing theKármán line(100 km or 62 mi), reaching 329,839 ft (100,535 m) before returning for a propulsive landing.[34][35]

SpaceX achieved the first vertical soft landing of a reusable orbital rocket stage on December 21, 2015, after delivering 11Orbcomm OG-2commercial satellites intolow Earth orbit.[36]

The first reuse of a Falcon 9 first stage occurred on 30 March 2017.[37]SpaceX now routinely recovers and reusestheir first stages, as well as reusing fairings.[38]

In 2019Rocket Labannounced plans to recover and reuse the first stage of theirElectronlaunch vehicle, intending to useparachutesandmid-air retrieval.[39]On 20 November 2020, Rocket Lab successfully returned an Electron first stage from an orbital launch, the stage softly splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.[40]

China is researching the reusability of theLong March 8system.[41]

As of May 2020,the only operational reusable orbital-class launch systems are the Falcon 9 andFalcon Heavy,the latter of which is based upon the Falcon 9. SpaceX is also developing the fully reusableStarshiplaunch system.[42]Blue Originis developing its ownNew Glennpartially reusable orbital rocket, as it is intending to recover and reuse only the first stage.

5 October 2020, Roscosmos signed a development contract forAmura new launcher with a reusable first stage.[43]

In December 2020, ESA signed contracts to start developingTHEMIS,a prototype reusable first stage launcher.[44]

Return to launch site[edit]

After 1980, but before the 2010s, two orbital launch vehicles developed the capability toreturn to the launch site(RTLS). Both the USSpace Shuttle—with one of itsabort modes[45][46]—and the SovietBuran[47] had a designed-in capability to return a part of the launch vehicle to the launch site via the mechanism ofhorizontal-landingof thespaceplaneportion of the launch vehicle. In both cases, the main vehicle thrust structure and the large propellant tank wereexpendable,as had been the standard procedure for all orbital launch vehicles flown prior to that time. Both were subsequently demonstrated on actual orbital nominal flights, although both also had an abort mode during launch that could conceivably allow the crew to land the spaceplane following an off-nominal launch.

In the 2000s, bothSpaceXandBlue Originhaveprivately developeda set of technologies to supportvertical landingof the booster stage of a launch vehicle. After 2010, SpaceX undertook adevelopment programto acquire the ability to bring back andvertically landa part of theFalcon 9orbitallaunch vehicle: thefirst stage.The first successful landing was done in December 2015,[48]since then several additional rocket stages landed either at alanding padadjacent to the launch site or on alanding platformat sea, some distance away from the launch site.[49]TheFalcon Heavyis similarly designed to reuse the three cores comprising its first stage. On itsfirst flightin February 2018, the two outer cores successfully returned to the launch site landing pads while the center core targeted the landing platform at sea but did not successfully land on it.[50]

Blue Origindeveloped similar technologies for bringing back and landing theirsuborbitalNew Shepard,and successfully demonstrated return in 2015, and successfully reused the same booster on a second suborbital flight in January 2016.[51]By October 2016, Blue had reflown, and landed successfully, that same launch vehicle a total of five times.[52]It must however be noted that the launch trajectories of both vehicles are very different, with New Shepard going straight up and down without achieving orbital flight, whereas Falcon 9 has to cancel substantial horizontal velocity and return from a significant distance downrange, while delivering the payload to orbit with the second stage.

Both Blue Origin and SpaceX also have additional reusable launch vehicles under development. Blue is developing the first stage of the orbitalNew GlennLV to be reusable, with first flight planned for no earlier than 2024. SpaceX has a new super-heavy launch vehicle under development for missions tointerplanetary space.TheSpaceX Starshipis designed to support RTLS, vertical-landing and full reuse ofboththe booster stage and the integrated second-stage/large-spacecraft that are designed for use with Starship.[53]Itsfirst launch attempttook place in April 2023; however, both stages were lost during ascent. On thefourth launch attempthowever, both the booster and the ship achieved a soft landing in theGulf of Mexicoand theIndian Ocean,respectively.

List of reusable launch vehicles[edit]

Company Vehicle Reusable Component Launched Recovered Relaunched Payload to LEO First Launch Status
United StatesNASA Space Shuttle Orbiter 135 133 130 27,500 kg 1981 Retired (2011)
Side booster 270 266 N/A[a]
United StatesSpaceX Falcon 9 First stage 354 312 283 17,500 kg (reusable)[54]
22,800 kg (expended) 		2010 Active
Fairing half >486[b] >300(Falcon 9 and Heavy)[b]
United StatesNew ZealandRocket Lab Electron First stage 49 9 0[c] 325 kg (expended) 2017 Active, relaunch planned
United StatesSpaceX Falcon Heavy Side booster 20 18 14 ~33,000 kg (all cores reusable)
63,800 kg (expended) 		2018 Active
Center core 10 0[d] 0
Fairing half >18[b] >300(Falcon 9 and Heavy)[b]
United StatesSpaceX Starship First stage 4 0 0 150,000 kg (reusable)
250,000 kg (expended) 		2023 Active, recovery planned
Second stage 4 0 0
United StatesUnited Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur First stage engine module 1 0 0 27,200 kg 2024 Active, recovery planned
ChinaSpace Pioneer Tianlong-3 First stage 0 0 0 17,000 kg 2024 Planned
United StatesBlue Origin New Glenn First stage, fairing 0 0 0 45,000 kg 2024 Planned
ChinaGalactic Energy Pallas-1 First stage 0 0 0 5,000 kg 2024 Planned
ChinaDeep Blue Aerospace Nebula 1 First stage 0 0 0 2,000 kg 2024 Planned
South KoreaPerigee Aerospace Blue Whale 1 First stage 0 0 0 170 kg 2024 Planned
United StatesNew ZealandRocket Lab Neutron First stage (includes fairing) 0 0 0 13,000 kg (reusable)
15,000 kg (expended) 		2025 Planned
United StatesStoke Space Nova Fully reusable 0 0 0 3,000 kg (reusable)
5,000 kg (stage 2 expended)
7,000 kg (fully expended) 		2025 Planned
ChinaCAS Space Kinetica-2 First stage 0 0 0 12,000 kg 2025 Planned
ChinaI-space Hyperbola-3 First stage 0 0 0 8,300 kg (reusable)
13,400 kg (expended) 		2025 Planned
ChinaLandSpace Zhuque-3 First stage 0 0 0 18,300 kg (reusable)
21,300 kg (expended) 		2025 Planned
ChinaDeep Blue Aerospace Nebula 2 First stage 0 0 0 20,000 kg 2025 Planned
ChinaOrienspace Gravity-2 First stage 0 0 0 17,400 kg (reusable)
21,500 kg(expended) 		2025 Planned
RussiaRoscosmos Amur First stage 0 0 0 10,500 kg 2026 Planned
United StatesRelativity Space Terran R First stage 0 0 0 23,500 kg (reusable)
33,500 kg (expended) 		2026 Planned
SpainPLD Space Miura 5 First stage 0 0 0 900 kg 2026 Planned
ChinaSpace Pioneer Tianlong-3H Side booster 0 0 0 68,000 kg (expended) 2026 Planned
Center core 0 0 0
ChinaOrienspace Gravity-3 First stage, fairing 0 0 0 30,600 kg 2027 Planned
ChinaCALT Long March 10A First Stage 0 0 0 14,000 kg (reusable)
18,000 kg (expended) 		2027 Planned
ChinaCALT Long March 9 First Stage 0 0 0 100,000 kg 2033 Planned
Second Stage 0 0 0
  1. ^An exact figure for reused SRBs is not possible because the boosters were broken up for parts at the end of recovery and not kept as complete sets of parts.
  2. ^abcdAs of 12 January 2024. A presentation slide at the company's all-hands meeting stated that fairing halves of the Falcon 9 and Heavy rockets had been recovered and reflown "more than 300 times".[55]
  3. ^Rocket Lab announced in 2024 that it will be reusing a recovered first stage.[56]
  4. ^The center booster used forArabsat-6Awas landed but not recovered.

List of reusable spacecraft[edit]

Company Spacecraft Launch Vehicle Launched Recovered Relaunched Launch Mass First Launch Status
United StatesNASA Space Shuttle orbiter Space Shuttle 135 133 130 110,000 kg 1981 Retired (2011)
Soviet UnionNPO-Energia Buran Energia 1 1 0 92,000 kg 1988 Retired (1988)
United StatesBoeing X-37 Atlas V,Falcon9,Falcon Heavy 7 6 5 5,000 kg 2010 Active
United StatesSpaceX Dragon Falcon 9 46 44 24 12,519 kg 2010 Active
United StatesNASA Orion Space Launch System 2 2 0 10,400 kg (excluding service module and abort system) 2014 Active, relaunch planned
United StatesBoeing Starliner Atlas V 3 2 1 13,000 kg 2019 Active
ChinaCASC Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft Long March 2F 3 2 unknown unknown 2020 Active, reusability unknown
United StatesSierra Space Dream Chaser Vulcan Centaur 0 0 0 9,000 kg 2024 Planned
ChinaCAST Mengzhou Long March 10A 0 0 0 14,000 kg 2027 Planned

List of reusable suborbital vehicles[edit]

Company Vehicle First Launch Recovered Relaunched Notes
United StatesBlue Origin New Shepard 2015 20 17 Fully reusable.
United StatesVirgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo(VSS Unity) 2018 5 4 Fully reusable.
United StatesVirgin Galactic SpaceShipThree(VSS Imagine) Fully reusable.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Dawn Aerospace unveils the Mk II Aurora suborbital space plane, capable of multiple same-day flights".TechCrunch.28 July 2020.Retrieved2022-08-19.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^Davenport, Justin (2024-05-09)."Space Coast looks toward the future with port and factory expansions".NASASpaceFlight.Retrieved2024-05-15.
  3. ^Strickland, Jackie Wattles, Ashley (2023-04-20)."SpaceX's Starship rocket lifts off for inaugural test flight but explodes midair".CNN.Retrieved2023-04-29.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^Berger, Eric (27 July 2021)."Blue Origin has a secret project named" Jarvis "to compete with SpaceX".Ars Technica.Archivedfrom the original on 30 July 2021.Retrieved31 July2021.
  5. ^"STOKE Space Raises $65M Series A to Make Space Access Sustainable and Scalable".businesswire.2021-12-15.Retrieved2023-02-05.
  6. ^Volosín, Trevor Sesnic, Juan I. Morales (2023-02-04)."Full Reusability By Stoke Space".Everyday Astronaut.Retrieved2023-02-05.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^"SpaceX Flies IFT-4, Achieves Super Heavy, Starship Controlled Splashdowns - AmericaSpace".americaspace.2024-06-06.Retrieved2024-06-10.
  8. ^Reyes, Tim (October 17, 2014)."Balloon launcher Zero2Infinity Sets Its Sights to the Stars".Universe Today.Archivedfrom the original on 13 April 2020.Retrieved9 July2015.
  9. ^"ESA plans demonstration of a reusable rocket stage".15 December 2020.
  10. ^"Everything you need to know about Themis".26 June 2023.
  11. ^Muir, Hazel (15 January 2006)."Pinch of comet dust lands safely on Earth".New Scientist.Archivedfrom the original on 21 January 2018.Retrieved20 January2018.
  12. ^"Mission Accomplished For Japan's Asteroid Explorer Hayabusa".Archived fromthe originalon June 16, 2010.
  13. ^"Space Probe, Perhaps with a Chunk of Asteroid, Returns to Earth Sunday".Space.13 June 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 16 June 2010.Retrieved13 June2010.
  14. ^Clark, Stephen."Cargo manifest for SpaceX's 11th resupply mission to the space station".Spaceflight Now.Archivedfrom the original on 9 August 2018.Retrieved3 June2017.
  15. ^Marder, Jenny (3 July 2019)."Inflatable Decelerator Will Hitch a Ride on the JPSS-2 Satellite".NOAA.Retrieved30 October2019.
  16. ^Xinhua Editorial Board (5 May 2020).""Béo năm" gia tộc đón người mới đến đưa tân một thế hệ tái người phi thuyền thí nghiệm thuyền lên không —— trường chinh số 5 B tên lửa vận chuyển đầu phi tam đại xem điểm (LM5 Family in focus: next generation crewed spacecraft and other highlight of the Long March 5B maiden flight) ".Xinhua News(in Chinese).Archivedfrom the original on 7 August 2020.Retrieved29 October2020.
  17. ^Bill D'Zio (7 May 2020)."Is China's inflatable space tech a $400 Million Cost savings for NASA's SLS?".westeastspace.Archivedfrom the original on 10 May 2020.Retrieved29 October2020.
  18. ^"FALCon".embention.Archivedfrom the original on 27 October 2020.Retrieved29 October2020.
  19. ^"SpaceX on Twitter".Twitter.Archivedfrom the original on September 20, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 7,2016.
  20. ^Pidvysotskyi, Valentyn (July 2021),The Concept of an Inflatable Reusable Launch Vehicle,doi:10.31224/osf.io/xbf8z,S2CID243032818,archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-18,retrieved2021-08-18
  21. ^Sippel, M; Stappert, S; Bussler, L; Dumont, E (September 2017),"Systematic Assessment of Reusable First-Stage Return Options"(PDF),IAC-17-D2.4.4, 68th International Astronautical Congress, Adelaide, Australia.,archived(PDF)from the original on 2020-04-13,retrieved2017-12-26
  22. ^"von Braun concept vehicle".astronautix.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-11-12.Retrieved2020-11-15.
  23. ^Portree, David S. F."Wernher von Braun's Fantastic Vision: Ferry Rocket | WIRED".Wired.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-11-12.Retrieved2020-11-15– via wired.
  24. ^"ch2".history.nasa.gov.
  25. ^"Nexus".astronautix.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-11-09.Retrieved2020-11-15.
  26. ^"Forgotten 1960s 'Thunderbirds' projects brought to life".BAE Systems | United Kingdom.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-01-18.Retrieved2021-02-07.
  27. ^NASA-CR-195281, "Utilization of the external tanks of the space transportation system"
  28. ^"STS External Tank Station".Ntrs.nasa.gov. Archived fromthe originalon 7 April 2015.Retrieved7 January2015.
  29. ^"Copper Canyon".astronautix.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-09-20.Retrieved2018-06-08.
  30. ^"Б.И.Губанов. Триумф и трагедия" Энергии "глава 41".buran.ru.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-11-08.Retrieved2020-11-14.
  31. ^"Recovery of an Ariane 5 booster at sea".esa.int.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-10-01.Retrieved2021-03-03.
  32. ^"France in Space #387".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-01-25.Retrieved2021-03-03.
  33. ^Lindsey, Clark (2013-03-28)."SpaceX moving quickly towards fly-back first stage".NewSpace Watch.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-04-16.Retrieved2013-03-29.
  34. ^"Blue Origin Makes Historic Reusable Rocket Landing in Epic Test Flight".Calla Cofield.Space.Com. 2015-11-24.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-09.Retrieved2015-11-25.
  35. ^Berger, Eric (24 November 2015)."Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk spar over gravity of Blue Origin rocket landing".Ars Technica.Archivedfrom the original on 13 April 2020.Retrieved25 November2015.
  36. ^"SpaceX on Twitter".Twitter.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-09-20.Retrieved2015-12-22.
  37. ^"SpaceX successful [sic] launches first recycled rocket – video ".The Guardian.Reuters. 31 March 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 9 February 2021.Retrieved31 March2017.
  38. ^April 2019, Mike Wall 12 (12 April 2019)."SpaceX Recovered Falcon Heavy Nose Cone, Plans to Re-fly it This Year (Photos)".Space.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-09.Retrieved2019-04-29.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ^"Rocket Lab Announces Reusability Plans For Electron Rocket".Rocket Lab. 6 August 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 21 May 2021.Retrieved7 December2019.
  40. ^"Rocket Lab launches Electron in test of booster recovery".SpaceNews.2020-11-20.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-10-01.Retrieved2020-11-20.
  41. ^"China to test rocket reusability with planned Long March 8 launcher".SpaceNews. 2018-04-30.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-10-01.Retrieved2020-10-04.
  42. ^ Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:Elon Musk (29 September 2017).Becoming a Multiplanetary Species(video). 68th annual meeting of the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia: SpaceX.Retrieved2017-12-31– via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}:CS1 maint: location (link)
  43. ^"Trouble-free as a Kalashnikov assault rifle: the Amur methane rocket"(in Russian).Roscosmos.5 October 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 6 October 2020.Retrieved6 October2020.
  44. ^"ESA plans demonstration of a reusable rocket stage".Space Daily.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-12-16.Retrieved2020-12-19.
  45. ^"Return to Launch Site".NASA.gov.Archived fromthe originalon 15 April 2015.Retrieved4 October2016.
  46. ^"Space Shuttle Abort Evolution"(PDF).ntrs.nasa.gov.26 September 2011.Retrieved4 October2016.
  47. ^Handwerk, Brian (12 April 2016)."The Forgotten Soviet Space Shuttle Could Fly Itself".National Geographic.National Geographic Society.Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2016.Retrieved4 October2016.
  48. ^Newcomb, Alyssa; Dooley, Erin (21 December 2015)."SpaceX Historic Rocket Landing Is a Success".ABC News.Retrieved4 October2016.
  49. ^Sparks, Daniel (17 August 2016)."SpaceX Lands 6th Rocket, Moves Closer to Reusability".Los Motley Fool.Retrieved27 February2017.
  50. ^Gebhardt, Chris (February 5, 2018)."SpaceX successfully debuts Falcon Heavy in demonstration launch from KSC – NASASpaceFlight".NASASpaceFlight.RetrievedFebruary 23,2018.
  51. ^Foust, Jeff (22 January 2016)."Blue Origin reflies New Shepard suborbital vehicle".SpaceNews.Retrieved1 November2017.
  52. ^Foust, Jeff (5 October 2016)."Blue Origin successfully tests New Shepard abort system".SpaceNews.Retrieved8 October2016.
  53. ^Foust, Jeff (15 October 2017)."Musk offers more technical details on BFR system - SpaceNews".SpaceNews.RetrievedFebruary 23,2018.
  54. ^Elon Musk (26 February 2024)."Due to continued design improvements, this Falcon 9 carried its highest ever payload of 17.5 tons of useful load to a useful orbit".
  55. ^Elon Musk delivers SpaceX update, talks Starship progress and more!onYouTube
  56. ^"Rocket Lab Returns Previously Flown Electron to Production Line in Preparation for First Reflight".

Bibliography[edit]

  • Heribert Kuczera, et al.:Reusable space transportation systems.Springer, Berlin 2011,ISBN978-3-540-89180-2.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toReusable launch systems.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reusable_launch_vehicle&oldid=1234200550#History"