Preliminary Design of Vertical Takeoff Hopper Concept of Future Launchers Preparatory Program

摘要

This paper deals with the aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic preliminary design activities for the verticalntakeoff hopper concept performed in the frame of the Future Launcher Preparatory Programme of the EuropeannSpace Agency. The reentry scenario with the corresponding loading environment for the proposed vehicle concept isnreported and analyzed. The hypersonic aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic characteristics of the vertical takeoffnhopper are investigated by means of several engineering analyses and a limited number of computational fluidndynamics simulations in order to assess the accuracy of the simplified design estimations. The results show that thendifference between Eulerian computational fluid dynamics and an engineering-based design is smaller than 10% fornaerodynamic coefficients, whereas a margin of about 30% has to be taken into account for what concerns thenaerothermodynamic results. The final results applicable for the prosecution of the launcher design activity are that,nat the condition of peak heating, the vehicle features a nose stagnation point heat flux of about 500 kW=m2 and annaerodynamic lift-to-drag ratio of about 1.2.