Fabrication of Large Composite Structure Fairings for Advanced Launch Vehicles Using Low Cost, Out-Of-Autoclave Manufacturing Processes

A low cost, out of autoclave manufacturing process is proposed for large composite structure fairings for advanced launch vehicles that will be used to launch future MDA large payload systems such as the Space Based Laser (SBL) and Space Based InfraredSensor System (SBIRS) components. Current composite manufacturing technologies for large fairings are limited by the size of the processing autoclaves and the amount of time to fabricate the structure before the prepreg materials cure. This innovation isbased on the combination of two diverse enabling technologies: (1) a novel, newly demonstrated process for low cost, net-shape preform fabrication via robotic fiber placement--the Programmable Powdered Preform Process for Aerospace (P4A), and (2) lowcost, out of autoclave processing of complex shapes via High Performance Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (HyperVARTM). The use of dry P4A preforms and secondary, out-of-autoclave HyPerVARTM processing addresses the conventional composite processingconstraints; shear size of component and the amount of time to layup the structure. The P4A/HyPerVARTM processing approach limits the size of the component only by the size of tool that can be fabricated and the amount of space required to subsequentlystore that tool for processing. The demonstration of the P4A/HyPerVARTM composite manufacturing process for large fairings for advanced launch vehicles will establish a cost-effective approach for manufacturing large lightweight composite structures thathave been limited by available autoclave facilities and current manufacturing processes. The results will be applicable for large fairings for launch vehicles for commerical space launches, and also for other large structures such as public transit buses,train cars, monorail cars, and other very large unitized body composite structures applications.