Accession Number:

AD0325694

Title:

COST OPTIMIZED BOOSTER SYSTEM STUDIES

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

BOEING CO SEATTLE WA

Personal Author(s):

Report Date:

1961-07-01

Pagination or Media Count:

1.0

Abstract:

A two-stage vehicle, with a segmented solid motor in the lower step and liquid-oxygenliquid-hydrogen propellant in the upper step, was compared on the basis of dollars per pound of delivered payload. The study was divided into two phases-a cost-optimized staging ratio determination, and a comparison of system costs. The staging-ratio study considered a vehicle with a clusterable lower step. Launch thrust-to-weight ratios, and therefore, second-step size, were varied for selected solid-motor sizes. The vehicles with unique combinations of thrust-to-weight ratio and motor weight capable of delivering 37,150 pounds of payload were determined. The costs of these unique vehicles were obtained. The dollars per pound of delivered payload, as a function of solid-propellant motor size, were determined. The minima was not determined. For the comparison, both liquid- and solid-propellant lower steps were clustered for higher payloads. Unique upper steps were designed for each cluster. The comparison was made for 100, 1000, and 2000 launches in ten years. Payload sizes were varied. The all-liquid vehicle was more economical. Author

Descriptors:

• *BOOSTER ROCKET ENGINES
• *COSTS
• *PROPELLANT TANKS
• *ROCKET ENGINE CASES
• *ROCKET ENGINES
• FEASIBILITY STUDIES
• LIQUID ROCKET PROPELLANTS
• MANUFACTURING
• SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANTS
• STAGING
• THRUST

Subject Categories:

• Rocket Engines

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE