Potential Demand for Orbital Space Tourism Opportunities Made Available via Reusable Rocket and Hypersonic Architectures

摘要

This paper looks at the likely demands for orbital space tourism at a range of price levels significantly lower than those currently being offered via the Russian Soyuz vehicles, and explores the extent to which vehicle architectures can be developed which would make such price levels achievable. Conclusions are provided by identifying two such vehicle architectures which therefore represents a 'sweet spot' where supply and demand for orbital trips would balance, and where therefore a commercial business could be developed to augment any governmental uses for such vehicles. The vehicles which emerge from the study are Two-Stage-to-Orbit, fully reusable transportation systems using rockets and hypersonic RBCC.