Introduction

to Aerospace Technology

1. Introduction 1
 Index
 The aerospace activities

 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Aerospace infrastructures

 Future challenges

1. Introduction 2
 The aerospace activities
Aerospace activities classification:
 Industry
 Airlines
 Aeronautical organizations
 Space agencies and organizations
 Research centers
 Military

1. Introduction 3
 The aerospace activities
 The aerospace industry
Strategic activity with:
 Cutting-edge technology  Long delivery times
 Highly qualified personnel  Need for large investment (€€€)
 Small scales  Government intervention
 Difficult automation  International cooperation

Aerospace technology is expensive. Seriously…

Pound for pound by weight Pound for pound by weight

An aero-engine has similar value A motorcar has the same value
than silver as a hamburger

1. Introduction 4
 The aerospace activities
 The aerospace industry
Strategic activity with:
 Cutting-edge technology  Long delivery times
 Highly qualified personnel  Need for large investment (€€€)
 Small scales  Government intervention
 Difficult automation  International cooperation

The industry is divided into:

 Aircraft design and development (30%)
 Systems industry (30%)
 Engines design and development (20%)
 Missiles development (10%)
 Space industry (10%)

1. Introduction 5
 The aerospace activities
 The aerospace industry
Highly multidisciplinary teams:
 Flight physics
 Propulsion
 Structures
 Avionics
…

Needs of all activities:

 Design and development
 Tests
• Wind tunnel, flight tests, CFD…
 Production
• Manufacturing, assembly and
certification
 Maintenance

1. Introduction 6
 The aerospace activities
 Airlines (= clients!)
Diverse airlines with different target customers:
 Traditional airlines
• Iberia
• Lufthansa
 Low-cost airlines
• Easyjet
• Ryanair
• Vueling
 Regional airlines
• Air Nostrum

Market with large monetary volume and low benefits Fierce competence

The airlines are adapting to the new times and forging alliances…
… many of them will disappear

1. Introduction 7
 The aerospace activities
 Aeronautical organizations
Born mainly to maintain the civil air traffic security and safety
 International associations:
• ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)
o Specialized agency from the UN
• IATA (International Air Transport Association)
o Association for the cooperation among airlines
 Legislative associations:
• Europe: EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency)
• USA: FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
 Bodies from national governments
• DGAC (Dirección General de Aviación Civil)

1. Introduction 8
 The aerospace activities
 Space agencies and organizations
 ESA (European Space Agency)
 NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
…
 Some countries have their own agency

 Research centres
 Space agencies
 ONERA (Office National d’Études et de Recherches Aéroespatiales)
 INTA (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial)
• Public institute for Research & Development in Spain
• Aeronautics, space and naval topics
• Tests for materials, components, equipment and systems
• Successful milestones:
o Cooperation with aircraft design and flight tests
o Intasat (first Spanish satellite)
o Collaboration with the Mercury and Apolo NASA projects
1. Introduction 9
 The aerospace activities
 Research centers
 INTA (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial)
• Large facilities
• High technology programs Nano-satellites
• Test laboratories
• Services to industry
• Program management EMC
• Applied research
Environmental testing
Electronics
Solar cells
Materials
Aerodynamics
Structural tests
Non-destructive tests
Fuels and lubricants
Certification
Mechanical Design
1. Introduction
Mini-satellites
Unmanned Aircraft
Synthetic aperture radar
Structural materials
Vehicle tests and certification
Environment testing
Aerodynamics
Metrology and calibration
Aircraft certification
Spasolab
Security evaluation
10
Turbojet engine test centre
Canary Islands space centre
Astrobiology centre
Ariane program test centre
Instrumented aircraft
Technology for vehicles and
road transport safety
El Arenosillo test centre
Space tracking stations
Advanced materials
Aerospace structures
Aerodynamics
Aeronautical technology
Remote sensing
Atmospheric research
Space technology
Space sciences
Renewable energies
 The aerospace activities
 Military activities
Air forces:
 Clients and users of aerospace material
 Maintenance centres
 Research centres
Ejército del
Aire
Spanish Air Force

Cuartel Apoyo a la
Fuerza
General Fuerza

Human and material Set of organisms that rule Units, centres and
resources with the aim the human and material organisms responsible for
of preparing to perform resources necessary to the management,
military operations and assist the “Jefe del Estado administration and control
carry them out Mayor” when commanding of the material, financing
the Air Force. and human resources.

1. Introduction 11
 Index
 The aerospace activities
 Industry
 Airlines
 Aeronautical organizations
 Space agencies and organizations
 Research centers
 Military activities
 Classification of aerospace vehicles
 Aircraft
 Missiles
 Spacecraft
 Aerospace infrastructures
 Aircraft
 Spacecraft
 Future challenges

1. Introduction 12
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Aircraft
Aircraft may be classified according to the way they achieve the force that
allows them to overcome gravity:
 Aerostats Archimedes principle
 Aerodynes Aerodynamic lift
 Miscellaneous aircraft

1. Introduction 13
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Aircraft
 Aerostats
• Make use of the Archimedes principle to fly:
“Any body submerged into a fluid experiences a vertical force upwards
equivalent to the weight of the displaced fluid”
• Therefore, they consist of a large vessel where a light gas is stored.
o The aircraft density is lower than the one of the surrounding air.
• Two kinds:
o Balloon No propulsion
o Dirigible Propulsion and manoeuvring ability

1. Introduction 14
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Aircraft
 Aerodynes
• Heavier-than-air aircraft which generate lift through the development of
aerodynamic forces thanks to fixed or rotary wings.
• Classification:
o Fixed-wing
o Rotorcraft

1. Introduction 15
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Aircraft
 Aerodynes
• Heavier-than-air aircraft which generate lift through the development of
aerodynamic forces thanks to fixed or rotary wings.
• Classification:
o Fixed-wing Amphibious
 Gliders Hydroplanes
Low-speed airplanes
 Airplanes
Subsonic airplanes
o Rotorcraft Supersonic airplanes
Hypersonic airplanes

1. Introduction 16
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Aircraft
 Aerodynes
• Heavier-than-air aircraft which generate lift through the development of
aerodynamic forces thanks to fixed or rotary wings.
• Classification:
o Fixed-wing
o Rotorcraft
 Autogyros
 Gyrodines
 Helicopters
 Compound helicopter
 Convertible aircraft

1. Introduction 17
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Aircraft
 Miscellaneous aircraft
• Ground-effect vehicles (GEV)
o Vehicle that flies close to the surface without directly touching it,
thanks to the action of the air layer between the surface and the vehicle.
• Air-cushion vehicles (ACV) or hovercraft
o Vehicle that uses blowers to produce a pressurized volume of air
below the aircraft surface that pushes it upwards.
• Hydrofoils
o Foil that operates immersed in water rather than in air.

1. Introduction 18
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Missiles
Unmanned aircraft with propulsion
that carries a warhead which is
guided towards a target.
• Guided bomb
• Rocket

1. Introduction 19
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Missiles
Many classifications can be made. The most general one attends to the military
function:
 Strategic
• Ballistic
• Cruise

 Tactical
• Air-to-air
• Surface-to-air
• Air-to-surface
• Surface-to-surface

1. Introduction 20
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Spacecraft
Vehicle conceived to perform extra-atmospheric flight.
General classification:
 Artificial satellites
• Orbit the Earth with several purposes (communications, observation,
positioning…).
 Space probes
• Scientific observation of the celestial bodies and interplanetary space.
 Spaceships
• Manned vehicles
• Space stations
 Launch vehicles
• Place space vehicles into orbit.
• They resemble missiles.

1. Introduction 21
 Classification of aerospace vehicles

 Summary Balloons
Aerostats
Dirigibles

Aerodynes Fixed-wing
Aircraft

Rotorcraft
Aerospace Miscellaneous
vehicles Missiles

Satellites

Space probes
Spacecraft
Spaceships

Launch vehicles

1. Introduction 22
 Index
 The aerospace activities
 Industry
 Airlines
 Aeronautical organizations
 Space agencies and organizations
 Research centers
 Military activities
 Classification of aerospace vehicles
 Aircraft
 Missiles
 Spacecraft
 Aerospace infrastructures
 Aircraft
 Spacecraft
 Future challenges

1. Introduction 23
 Aerospace infrastructures
 Aerospace infrastructures classification:
 For aircraft
• Airports and aerodromes
• Air traffic management
• Navigation aids
 For space vehicles
• Launch sites
• Control centres

1. Introduction 24
 Aerospace infrastructures
 For aircraft
 Airports and aerodromes
• Aerodrome: defined area used total or partially for the departure, arrival
and movements on surface of different aircraft.
• Airport: aerodrome with permanent facilities and services open to the
public.
• They are divided into:
o Airside: runways, taxiways, aircraft parking…
o Landside: passenger terminal, car parking…
o Industrial zone
o Flight control and navigation system

1. Introduction 25
 Aerospace infrastructures
 For aircraft
 Air traffic management
• Air Traffic Control
o TWR
o Terminal Control Centres
o Air Route Traffic Control Centres

1. Introduction 26
 Aerospace infrastructures
 For aircraft
 Navigation aids
• Ground stations:
o VOR (VHF Omni-directional Range)
o DME (Distance Measuring Equipment)
o NDB (Non-Directional Beacon)
o ILS (Instrumental Landing System)
o PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator)
o…
• Satellites:
o GPS network

1. Introduction 27
 Aerospace infrastructures
 For space vehicles
 Launch sites
• Their location must be chosen considering the proximity to the equator
and the coast in an uninhabited region.
• They should have nearby:
o Industrial zone (workshops, etc.)
o Facilities for the final assembly
o Energy supply
o Port and airport
o Launching platform

1. Introduction 28
 Aerospace infrastructures
 For space vehicles
 Control centres
• The mission control centres:
o Monitor the trajectory of the vehicle
o Check the normal operation of the instruments and systems onboard.
o Send signals to activate equipment (cameras, orbit corrections…).
• In the case of satellites, since the relative position among the vehicle
and the centres change, it is necessary to use tracking stations located
around the Earth.

1. Introduction 29
 Aerospace infrastructures
 For space vehicles
 Control centres
• Example: tracking stations for the ISS

1. Introduction 30
 Index
 The aerospace activities
 Industry
 Airlines
 Aeronautical organizations
 Space agencies and organizations
 Research centers
 Military activities
 Classification of aerospace vehicles
 Aircraft
 Missiles
 Spacecraft
 Aerospace infrastructures
 Aircraft
 Spacecraft
 Future challenges

1. Introduction 31
 Future challenges
 Future challenges in Aerospace Technology
Once durability and safety have been “guaranteed”:
 Propulsion:
• New concepts for better efficiency (open rotor…).
• Alternative fuels.
• More electric engines.
 Materials and structures:
• Successful implementation of the composite material in the structure.
• Research to come up with new materials (metal foams, nanomaterials).
• Non-destructive testing.
 Logistics and manufacturing:
• Optimization of the supply chain to deliver on time
• More automation.
 Operations:
• More efficient air traffic management and navigation.
 Data handling (big data?)

1. Introduction 32
1. Introduction 33