NovaTech Space Systems: Rocket Design

NovaTech Space Systems rocket design

Summary

A group of venture capitalists expressed interest in funding a network of small satellites to provide satellite internet coverage globally. They tasked our team with designing a low-cost rocket featuring a reusable first stage capable of deploying a single 1,000 kg satellite into a 500 km altitude low-Earth orbit (LEO). Key design requirements included delivering the payload efficiently, minimizing costs, and ensuring reusability of the first stage.

  • 1. NovaTech Rocket Prop Presentation: Here
  • 2. NovaTech Rocket Prop Report: Here

Abstract:

    The NOVA 1 rocket, designed by Chief Engineers Felicity Cundiff, Grayson Atwell, Mack Rowan Howard, Andrew Truong, Kai Alden Laslett-Vigil, and Daniel Molidor, was meticulously crafted to achieve a specific mission objective. With the goal of delivering a 1000 kg payload to a 500 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the rocket was engineered with a ∆V budget of 9 km/s. Pioneering cost-effectiveness, the NOVA 1 boasts a launch cost of $13.5 million per launch, demonstrating superior efficiency in achieving its mission goals. The rocket's remarkable performance attributes include a launch mass of 15,266 kg, generating a net ∆V of 9.175 km/s, with a burnout altitude of 545 km and a burn time of 439.6 seconds.

Introduction and Background:

    The NOVA 1 rocket project was initiated in response to a challenge presented by venture capitalists, demanding a cost-effective solution for deploying satellites into LEO. The project entails designing a gas turbine engine core for airbreathing propulsion, emphasizing performance optimization and maintaining acceptable turbine inlet temperatures. The compressor, combustor, and turbine collectively influence engine efficiency and emissions. Design decisions are justified based on efficiency, cost, and performance at the designated design point.

Technical Approach:

    To ensure optimal performance and minimize propellant loss during launch and mission, the NOVA 1 employs a sophisticated cryogenic fuel storage system. Drawing inspiration from established practices at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the rocket features double-walled vacuum storage tanks constructed from stainless steel and carbon steel. These tanks house liquid hydrogen and oxygen, carefully designed to mitigate boil-off and maintain propellant integrity throughout the mission.

Fuel Choice

    Staged Combustion Liquid Rocket Motors (LMR) using Oxygen (O2) and Hydrogen (H2) were chosen for both stages due to their cost-effectiveness and high specific impulse (Isp).

Cryogenic Fuel Storage:

    A meticulous technical approach guided the NOVA 1 project, beginning with the crucial task of selecting the most suitable propellant combination. Through exhaustive trade studies, liquid hydrogen and oxygen emerged as the preferred choice due to their high specific impulse and cost-effectiveness. Further optimization involved determining critical performance parameters such as chamber pressure, mixing ratio, and expansion ratio, achieved through iterative analysis utilizing NASA's CEA software.

Turbomachinery:

    Integral to the rocket's propulsion system, turbomachinery plays a vital role in efficiently delivering propellants to the combustion chamber. The turbopumps, meticulously sized and optimized, exhibit mass values of 93.21 kg for the first stage and 38.42 kg for the second stage. Employing staged combustion LRMs, the turbopumps contribute significantly to the rocket's overall performance, ensuring precise fuel delivery and combustion efficiency.

Combustor - Film Cooling:

    To withstand the extreme temperatures generated during combustion, the NOVA 1 features a robust combustion chamber equipped with film cooling technology. This innovative solution, utilizing gaseous film cooling, effectively manages temperatures to prevent structural degradation. By circulating hydrogen along the chamber's inner wall, the system maintains temperatures within safe limits, ensuring the chamber's structural integrity throughout the mission.

Regenerative Cooling

    Regenerative cooling techniques were implemented in the combustion chamber to efficiently dissipate heat and maintain structural integrity.

Future Work

  • Exploration of controlled reentry and landing capabilities for the first stage, utilizing excess ΔV to enhance reusability.
  • Optimization of the first stage design, including pressure matching to sea level conditions and implementation of stability control mechanisms such as fins or gimbling nozzles.
  • Structural analysis of the combustion chamber and storage tanks to determine optimal wall thickness for containing high pressures.
  • Exploring the use of passive cooling techniques in the nozzle design to reduce manufacturing and operational costs.