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Two Stage To Orbit.WHAT IS WRONG WITH SINGLE STAGE VEHICLES. At present, all proposed single stage launch vehicles have never flown an orbital mission and still present economic and technological challenges. Since the beginning of rocketry, engineers were limited by the power of their chemical based rocket engines. This ment their rockets had to operate in stages; many stages. Discarding dead weight as the vehicle flew was the only solution for this difficult problem, and the dream of single stage to orbit was only that, "a dream". One famous rocket vehicle came very close to achieving this unreachable goal, "the Atlas missile". Hats off to Convair engineers! In light of US-SpacePlane Systems LLC "Advanced" Lifting Body Technology, an attractive and sensible method for orbital transportation lies before us. Heres why. TWO STAGE NOW ! Flight hardware will consist of the Lifting Body Carrier Aircraft, the Orbital Vehicle and a Second Stage Booster segment. Based on the "Stephenson formula", the carrier and orbital vehicles are derived from the same base line technology allowing each of them to achieve maximum performance while operating within their own flight envelopes. No separate technology will be needed for each vehicle, thereby reducing cost and complexity. Both crafts will incorporate contours and shape profiles conducive for operations at high velocity and altitudes according to their own mission profiles. The Carrier craft based on our "B" series airframe, this one hundred and twenty foot sub-orbital vehicle will primarily consist of a composite fuselage and high temperature external skin. An active cooling system imbedded into the surface structure is invisioned. Eighty percent of the airframe is made up of composite materials. Advanced construction and fabrication methods developed exclusivly by US-SpacePlane systems will be imployed. All internal components will be modular and miniaturized. The command and control cockpit including the cargobay will afford the same environmental control components as the orbital vehicle. The carrier vehicle will be propelled by advanced turbo/pulse jet engines and a rocket assisted boost stage. This will allow runway takeoffs and landings for flexible operations. The Carrier Craft will incoperate a fully functional internal "hangar deck" allowing access to the orbiter and crew leading up to the final moments before launch from the mother ship. This will improve safety and abort scenarios. Return to launch or alternate landing sites can be accomplished by both vehicles before or after seperation. As the carrier plane and its internally carried orbital craft begin a mission, it will proceed to a designated safe operational area, preferably "off shore" to begin a launch sequence. While at cruising altitude, the carrier begins its rocket assisted boost assent establishing a ballistic flight path necessary to release the "Orbital" vehicle. Separation of the two vehicles will take place at the apex of the O-gravity ballistic arc. After launching the Orbiter, the carrier craft will slowly descend into the thickening atmosphere and return to a runway landing. The carrier craft can continue its intended dual purpose activities of launching another orbiter or performing a sub-orbital intercontinental mission of its own. Launching an orbital vehicle from a carrier plane at altitude has many "advantages"...... The first being improved safety for flight crews during an abort, and reduced exposure to populated areas. There are numerous launch restraints ascociated with Ground Based Launch Systems,ie; Range Safety and operational availability; weather, upper level wind sheer, and propellant handling,are just a few. Our biggest advantage is "Greater" payload and altitude capabilities asscociated with reduced propellant usage, as a result of high altitude launching. The specifications for US-SpacePlane Systems Lifting Body Carrier Aircraft will be available some time in the near future. The Orbiter based on our "A" series airframe, will incorporate the new "Intel-Shell" Thermal fusalage. This Advanced Monocoupe constructed Aero-Shell is the first of its kind in the Aerospace industry. State of the art technologies embedded into the fusalage during construction give this vehicle its intelligent attributes. Modular internal components will be the domonant factor for allowing flexability and capability. The design and interchangeability of the command and control crew modules, environmental life support, propulsion, electrical,and navigation systems will all be incorporated into the modular design. This method will allow multiple mission configurations and rapid turnaround time for a singular vehicle. All modules can be individually selected for each and every mission or un-installed to support unmanned missions alike. Turn around time for each orbiter is expected to become days instead of months. As the fleet becomes operational, multiple flights may become weekly. This is our goal. The technical data and capabilities of the orbiter and carrier crafts will be available in the near future.
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