Stratospheric-Airship-Assisted Orbital Payload Launching System

摘要

Stratospheric-airship-assisted orbital payload launching (SAAOPL) is a novel transportation system aiming to provide humans a low-cost, reliable and convenient access into space. SAAOPL mainly consists of an airship-based stratospheric launch platform (SLP) and a stratospheric-launched shuttle (SLS). Key ideas of SAAOPLs design include: combining stratospheric launch with HTHL reusable vehicle; employing a mixed structure of balloon and airship as the stratospheric launch platform; using hydrogen and helium lifting gas in platform's ascent stage but completely vent the hydrogen lifting gas after launched the reusable vehicle. SAAOPL is a candidate for the next generation launching system but its design mostly is based on existing technologies.