External Tank Derived Heavy Lift Reusable Launch Vehicle

First Stage:

Element 1 and 3 feeds Element 5

Element 2 and 4 feeds Element 6
Element 5 and 6 feeds Element 7
7
7,000 metric tons of thrust

Second Stage:

Element 5 and 6 feeds Element 7 2 6

3,000 metric tons of thrust 1
4

Third Stage:
3
Element 7 feeds Element 7 5

1,000 metric tons of thrust

Payload:

680 metric tons stored in a stretched Element 7

in the Inter-tank Region Between Oxidizer and Fuel
ELEMENT DETAILS

Empty Mass: 50 metric tons

Propellant Mass: 730 metric tons
Engine Thrust: 1,000 metric tons force
Wings Retracted
Main
Engine Hardware: RS-68 pumps (3 sets)
Throttle: 40% to 105%
Thrust: 1,000 metric tons
Engine Nozzle: Aerospike
Isp: 468 sec

Touchdown
Engine Hardware: RL-10 pumps (10 sets)
Throttle: 30% to 105% Wings Deployed
Thrust: 100 metric tons
Isp: 435 sec

Cost:! ! $100 million each

 SEVEN ELEMENTS
STAGE 1 THREE STAGES
SHUTTLE EXTERNAL TANK

3 4

5 7 6

1 2

STAGE 2

5 7 6

STAGE 3

REUSABLE EXTERNAL TANK

7

Aerospike
Engine
 First Stage Separation

First Stage
 Third Stage

Second Stage

Aerial Recovery
Aerial Recovery Downrange
Recovery proceeds in a manner similar to the Corona (KH-4) satellite series. A recovery aircraft loiters
downrange from the launch center, and snags the booster as it is gliding to its downrange entry point.
The aircraft then tows the glider back to the launch center for release and recovery on a runway

CIA Drawing USAF Photo

M2-F1 Lifting body behind a R4D “Gooney

Bird”, with the nose positioned high. This
method of aerial recovery and release was well
worked out by 1959

NASA Photo
Inflatable Optics
Very lightweight optics using thin film elements provide a means to focus sunlight to very high intensity.
This reduces the cost per watt, and the mass per watt generated on orbit substantially.

NASA Photo

Each metric ton on orbit intercepts 67,000 sq
meters of sunlight. Concentrated 20,000x, each
ton requires only 33 sq meters of PV area. The
weight of the film dominates
The launcher described here places 200 metric
tons into GEO with recovery of ALL
components. Complete recovery of
components radically reduces costs and
shortens time between launch.
300 metric tons on GEO with this technology is
sufficient to intercept 20 square kilometers of
solar energy. This is large enough to generate
12 GW of laser energy continuously for buyers
at a cost of 1/30th of a cent per kilowatt-hour.
1,000 satellites each one 5 km in diameter,
placed 72 km apart in GEO provide continuous
power to any point on Earth’s surface.