Increased Performance and Reliability of Spaceplanes by Energy Management

The proposed task will develop an innovative concept that will increase the performance and reliability of all-rocket and rocket based combined cycle access to space vehicles. The two principal features are:1. The substitution of water for hydrogen as the coolant in all vulnerable areas subject to damage by foreign objects or where a reactive transpiration injectant would be hazardous or counter productive.2. The efficient utilization of the energy created by aerodynamic heating of the vehicle and that resulting from the formation of water, to increase the propulsive efficiency and reduce the vehicle structural weight.A key feature is the on-board generation of water from air captured in a small inlet and/or from the stored propellants. The storage of cooled and heated water provides the capability of collecting coolant and steam for propulsive force during the access to orbit and using the fluids in orbit and in the entry trajectory and landing. A variant using the colection and storage of liquid air is also included.