Shuttle Derived Launchers - friznit/Unofficial-BDB-Wiki GitHub Wiki
Background
Shuttle Derived Vehicles (SDVs) aim to reuse technology and components from the shuttle programme.
Mod: reDIRECT by Benjee. Tweakscale is required for some builds.
Constellation
The Constellation Programme included the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, Altair lander and Ares launch vehicles. Ares I "The Stick" CLV features a Saturn-derived upper stage powered by a single J-2X engine and a five segment solid rocket booster acting as a first stage. Ares IV is a combination of an Ares I upper stage on the Ares V body.
The core of Ares V, originally known simply as the Cargo Launch Vehicle (CaLV), is derived from a Space Shuttle external tank widened to 10m (6.25m KSP Scale). The final 2008 configuration features a first stage stretched from 64m (41m KSP Scale) of the previous versions to a massive 71m (44m KSP Scale) and is powered by five RS-68 cryogenic engines and augmented by two 5.5 segment SRB's. The upper, or Earth Departure Stage, uses a single J-2X engine.
| Launch Vehicle | First Stage | Boosters | Second Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ares I | 1x SRB | 1x J-2X | |
| Ares IV | 5x RS-25 | 2x 5 Seg SRB | 1x J-2X |
| Ares V (2005) | 5m Diam; 40m Core Tank; 5x RS-25 | 2x 5 Seg SRB | 5m EDS (2x J-2S) |
| Ares V (2006) | 6.25m Diam; 41m Core Tank; 5x RS-68 | 2x 5 Seg SRB | 5m EDS (1x J-2X) |
| Ares V (2007) | 6.25m Diam; 42m Core Tank; 5x RS-68 | 2x 5 Seg SRB | 6.25m EDS (1x J-2X) |
| Ares V (2008) | 6.25m Diam; 44m Core Tank; 6x RS-68 | 2x 5.5 Seg SRB | 6.25m EDS (1x J-2X) |
The mission plan involves Ares V launching the Altair lander and EDS to orbit, joined later by the crew aboard an Orion CEV launched on Ares I.
Ares IV and Ares V (2007)
SLS
SLS is an evolution of the Ares I and V combined into a single heavy launch vehicle for both crew and cargo on an 8m diameter core (5m KSP Scale). The addition of a modified Delta Cryogenic Upper Stage (the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage) on the Block 1 provides a significant boost for high energy missions. Block 1B and Block 2 use an RL10 powered Exploration Upper Stage in place of the ICPS.
| Launch Vehicle | First Stage | Boosters | Second Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | 5m SLS Core; 4x RS-25 | 2x STS Typhoon | ICPS |
| Block 1B | SLS Core | 2x STS Typhoon | EUS |
| Block 2 | SLS Core | 2x Pyrios LFB (TBD) | EDS |
SLS Block 1 (Artemis 1) and Block 1B Crew
Direct
The Direct Shuttle Derivative proposal (not to be confused with Mars Direct), proposed as an alternative to Ares, uses a shuttle external tank as the core powered by three or four Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) and augmented by a pair of four-segment SRBs, while the Jupiter Upper Stage features up to six RL-10 engines. Procedural Fairings mod is recommended for shaping the interstage fairings correctly.
Jupiter uses a three number designation Jupiter-xyz, where:
- x = Number of cryogenic stages to orbit
- y = Number of SSMEs on core
- z = Number of RL-10 engines on Jupiter Upper Stage
Jupiter 130 and Jupiter 246
Others
OmegA
OmegA, also known as OmegAAAAAAAAA, is the Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS) plan for a next gen launcher using the new Castor 1200/600/300 and a cryogenic upper stage powered by dual RL10-C-5-1, with a layout similar to the DCSS. The design principle is the same as Ares 1 and the Liberty rocket, which would have used the Ariane 5 second stage. The Castor 1200 has been proposed as a replacement for the SLS 5 segment SRBs, as part of the BOLE program.
SRB-X
SRB-X was once described as the single worst shuttle-derived launcher ever proposed. It features two standard 4 segment shuttle solid rocket boosters and a core stage featuring either a 2 or 3 segment derivative of the shuttle SRB topped by a Titan second stage and Centaur G. An earlier NASA version of the proposal used a Centaur D1-T instead of the Air Force Centaur G.
