Launch vehicles

The aerospace field is a broad one and has a complex history. A comprehensive review of structural adhesive applications on currently flying aerospace vehicles alone could fill its own book. Hence this chapter will concentrate on the aerospace commercial transport industry and its use of adhesives in structural applications, both metallic and composite. Both primary structure, that is structure which carries primary flight loads and failure of which could result in loss of vehicle, and secondary structure will be considered. Structural adhesives use and practice in the military aircraft and launch vehicle/spacecraft fields as well as non-structural adhesives used on commercial aircraft will be touched on briefly as well. 

Used tor modern solid propellant engines in military missiles, space launch vehicles and spacecraft. Pollutes environment by toxic exhaust. 

Widely used in space launch vehicles. Non-toxic, environmentally clean. 

Space Shuttle 1-2 solid boosters 2,040 tons orbiter 94,000 1.45% reusable launch vehicle (RLV). 

Energy efficiency is one of the major factors that determines the launch vehicle layout and choice of... 

One of the seemingly obvious ways to cut down the cost is a reusable launch vehicle, such as the Space Shuttle. NA.SA hoped that the enormous cost of the Space Shuttle development would have been compensated by the expected tenfold reduction in the price of putting a payload in orbit. Unfortunately, that goal was not achieved. Despite the Shuttle s unique capabilities, the cost of its payload deliveiy... 

The most advanced among today s projects is the future American reusable launch system known as Venture Star. It utilizes two new concepts that are expected to boost efficiency and cut down the cost of a payload. The first is the single stage-to-orbit concept—the launch vehicle carries the entire propellant load and does not have any expendable parts. The latter is planned to be achieved by a revolutionary rocket engine design called Aerospike. The bell-shaped noz-... 

Chemical Solid Widely used in launch vehicles... 

Miscellaneous Niobium also finds use in satellite launch vehicles and spacecraft and one of the principal applications for niobium-base alloys is in the production of super-conducting devices. 

Polymethacrylimide (PMI) rigid foams as the core material for composites used in buses, aerospace launch vehicles, commercial and military aeroplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, ships, high-speed trains. Formula One racing cars, high-performance bicycles, cross-country skis. .. 

The launch of the space shuttle and other vehicles such as the Titan launch vehicles results in emissions directly into the troposphere and the stratosophere. Exhaust emissions include A1203 (30% by weight), CO (24%), HC1 (21%), H20 (10%), N2 (9%), C02 (4%), and H2 (2%) (Danilin, 1993). 

Economic Factors. Economic factors are related to the availability and cost of the propellant as well as the cost of the equipment required to transport, store, and supply the propellant. Generally, low cost is a prime requisite for a propellant which will be utilized in large quantities and/or in multiunits (i.e., booster stages of launch vehicles and in military weapons). However, where utilization of a high-cost propellant may be required to complete the mission, the cost factor can be of secondary importance. This situation is usually associated with upper stages of a space launch vehicle. 

An example of propellant tailoring is the fuel used to launch the first U. S. satellite into orbit. The original fuel for the launch vehicle was ethyl alcohol. MAF-4 (also known as hydyne or U-DETA), a mixture of 60% UDMH and 40% diethylenetriamine (DETA), was formulated to simulate the physical properties of C2H5OH but provide the increased propellant performance (using liquid oxyen as the oxidizer) requirements of the mission. 

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) For launching IRS/Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) Satellites. India launched its first unmanned spacecraft under its mission Chandrayaan- to explore the moon on October 22, 2008 with the help of upgraded version of PSLV (also called PSLV-XL). 

Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) For creating links among remotest and most inaccessible parts of the country. Also, it makes it possible to keep a close watch on our weather, climate and pollution. 

Table 1.8 describes the general characteristics of various launch vehicles along with their approximate period of development. It also clearly brings out the increase in the variety of propellants used, from solid only in SLV-3 and ASLV to solid and liquid in PSLV and finally, to solid, liquid and cryo in GSLV. 

Explosives, Propellants (Oxidizers, Binders and Plasticizers) and Pyrotechnics for Satellite Launch Vehicles... 

Figure 1.6 Various satellite launch vehicles of ISRO.

Table 1.8 General characteristics of ISRO s different satellite launch vehicles.

Further, space shuttles, spacecrafts and other new launch vehicles would be used for exploring the moon, Mars, Saturn and other planets and again large quantities of propellants and some pyro devices as well would be required for such missions. 

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