TRANSPORTATION OF LIQUID PROPELLANT LAUNCH-VEHICLES ON AIRCRAFT

Abstract

This paper concerns the problem of liquid propellant launch vehicles delivery to the launch center. The variants of launch vehicles transportation using rail, road and air transport were considered. The key problems of transportation using the aircrafts, such as overloads applied to the launch vehicle attake off and landing, variation of temperature inside the aircraft cargo compartment, difference in pressure inside the launch vehicle propellant tank sand aircraft cargo compartment, were studied. As a result the proposals for avoiding such problems at transportation using aircraft were stated. Also, the transportation using aircraft was selected for delivery of the Cyclone-4 orbital launch vehicle and the block of Taurus-II launch vehicle.

Keywords

• тиск
• перевантаження
• паливна система
• авіаційне транспортування
• ракета-носій
• транспорт