Start Date
4-1988 8:00 AM
Description
The Advanced Launch System (ALS) is a challenge to industry and government to develop the first true operationally mature space flight system. As shown in figure 1, our early boosters were derived from ballistic missiles. Saturn was a special-case design put together in a time-constrained and dollarunconstrained environment; Shuttle was and is a valuable development addressing reusability and manned spaceflight. None of these systems had the benefit of operational experience— experience which is invaluable both in understanding the operational requirements and in defining them to the designer.. None of these systems had the benefit of the lessons learned in working through a maze of design and programmatic choices whose implications we only now understand.
The ALS can benefit from these early lessons; it must benefit from them if it is to meet the program goals shown in figure 2. These lessons and the valuable historical data base are the foundation for ALS. But as shown in figure 3, ALS will also benefit from a considerably expanded, rapidly growing technology base. It will benefit from joint oversight by the USAF and NASA to take advantage of their complementary strengths and insights. It will benefit from several years of careful examination of fundamental issues on the STAS studies. Perhaps most importantly, ALS will benefit from the lack of a specific mission requirement. Under normal circumstances the lack of a specific, driving requirement would be considered the program f s fatal flaw. In reality it is crucial to creating the environment conducive to meeting ALS program goals.
Advanced Launch System Issues
The Advanced Launch System (ALS) is a challenge to industry and government to develop the first true operationally mature space flight system. As shown in figure 1, our early boosters were derived from ballistic missiles. Saturn was a special-case design put together in a time-constrained and dollarunconstrained environment; Shuttle was and is a valuable development addressing reusability and manned spaceflight. None of these systems had the benefit of operational experience— experience which is invaluable both in understanding the operational requirements and in defining them to the designer.. None of these systems had the benefit of the lessons learned in working through a maze of design and programmatic choices whose implications we only now understand.
The ALS can benefit from these early lessons; it must benefit from them if it is to meet the program goals shown in figure 2. These lessons and the valuable historical data base are the foundation for ALS. But as shown in figure 3, ALS will also benefit from a considerably expanded, rapidly growing technology base. It will benefit from joint oversight by the USAF and NASA to take advantage of their complementary strengths and insights. It will benefit from several years of careful examination of fundamental issues on the STAS studies. Perhaps most importantly, ALS will benefit from the lack of a specific mission requirement. Under normal circumstances the lack of a specific, driving requirement would be considered the program f s fatal flaw. In reality it is crucial to creating the environment conducive to meeting ALS program goals.
Comments
No other information or file available for this session.