Innovative Aeropropulsion Technology for Future Military Assets

This proposal seeks to develop a system for quickly assessing the abort scenarios for a wide variety transportation concepts including space-access launchers, high-speed cruisers, sub-orbital systems, and strike vehicles with single and multistage elements utilizing air-breathing (turbine, RBCC, combined-cycle, etc.) and rocket propulsion systems. Through an exhaustive assessment of the possible failure modes, mitigation options, and flight scenarios possible along the nominal flight path, this system, called the Abort Simulation Modeler, will be able to identify sensitive areas during the mission when intact abort options are lowest or non-existent for a proposed or existing launch asset. SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI) believes demand exists for this type of system. The customer base is envisioned to range from government officials wanting to assess new design concepts (e.g. DoD, NASA, FAA) to the small launch vehicle/responsive space access community wishing to determine how well their systems can meet government certification requirements.