OMV (Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle) Payload Support Concept for Pegasus Boosted Payloads.

摘要

This thesis examines a new concept of orbiting and maintaining payloads in low earth orbit. Two existing technologies, namely the Pegasus Air-Launched Space Booster and the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV), are merged to create an operational space system. The boosted payload need be an autonomous satellite, as the OMV will provide all required support to the payload. This allows new satellite design, as the weight and volume of non-productive satellite subsystems can be replaced with more payload. A superior system could then be orbited while maintaining a fixed weight and volume budget. The first four chapters provide background on the proposed concept and the OMV and Pegasus vehicles. Chapter five describes the docking and activation of the Pegasus payload to the OMV. A comparison of a current NOAA satellite system to the OMV/Pegasus concept is offered in Chapter six to determine the merits of this strategy. Conclusions and recommendations are then offered concerning the economic and operational advantages over current space systems with the implementation of this new concept. (RRH)