63rd International Astronautical Congress, Naples, IT. Copyright ©2012 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved.

IAC-12, D2,8,6,x14326

ADVANCED BOOSTER FOR NASA SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM (SLS)

Don Sauvageau
Director, Advanced Space Systems, ATK
Brigham City, UT
donald.sauvageau@atk.com

Adam Corliss
Program Manager, Next Generation Booster Office, ATK
Brigham City, UT
adam.corliss@atk.com
ABSTRACT
ATK has designed a new Advanced Booster for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). ATK’s Advanced
Booster provides NASA the capability for the SLS to achieve 130 mT payload with significant margin,
utilizing a booster that is 40 percent less expensive and 24 percent more reliable than the current SLS
booster. These gains in affordability, performance, and reliability ensure that the SLS will be sustainable
and flexible in its ability to support a wide variety of
exploration, science and Department of Defense
(DoD) missions. ATK’s Advanced Booster
leverages our human-rated experience on the Shuttle Composite
Oblique Nose
and Ares First Stage programs in conjunction with Cone
our extensive commercial heritage in supporting the
Modular
Delta, Antares, Pegasus, and Taurus programs. This Avionics Unit
valuable legacy, combined with an innovative
Simplified
advanced booster design, enables us to exceed all of Forward Skirt
NASA’s performance and reliability requirements at
Low Cost
an affordable price. ATK’s Advanced Booster Propellant
includes numerous advancements in Solid Rocket
Tailored Thrust
Booster (SRB) technology that reduce cost, enhance Profile
reliability, and improve performance. Some of the
Modular
characteristics of the Advanced Booster include Raceway
features that have been identified by NASA as
Efficient
important for the next-generation booster are: an Case Joint
energetic propellant to improve performance and
Adaptable Aft
reduce cost, a composite case using low cost Attach Structure
fiber/resin, electric Thrust Vector Control (TVC),
Simplified
and an adaptable core attach design to minimize Aft Skirt
interface concerns.
Electric TVC
This Advanced Booster concept (Figure 1) will Low Cost, Low
allow NASA to achieve its goal of evolving the Torque Nozzle
current demonstration flight configurations of SLS
to achieve payload capabilities in excess of 130 mT Payload: >130 mT Thrust: >4.5M lbf
to meet its long-term human exploration goals GLOW: >6.5M lbm Propellant Weight: 1.3M lbm
Booster Weight: ~1.75M lbm
beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). To achieve this Burn Time: ~110 sec
capability, the ATK Advanced Booster incorporates MEOP: 1,300 psia
proven design features from Titan and Shuttle and
Figure 1. ATK Advanced Booster

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augments these with new technologies specifically targeted to meet NASA’s goals for performance and
affordability. This approach minimizes development and recurring costs, while maintaining the
demonstrated human-rated capability needed for NASA’s beyond LEO missions.

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OVERVIEW Key Design Features

The NASA Space Launch System (SLS) is being Type of Propellant Solid
developed to support future human exploration Number of Segments 4
missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Since Case Material Composite
there is a number of Exploration missions
TVC EHA
envisioned, the SLS needs to be flexible enough to
support this broad spectrum of potential missions. Avionics 1553 Compatible
As such, SLS is intended to be a capability driven Max Vacuum Thrust (Mlbf) >4.5
framework that encompasses all the payloads for Burn Time (sec) ~110

2,105 in.
the envisioned missions.
Total Booster Mass (Mlbm) ~1.75
In order to enable the breadth of capabilities Fwd/Aft Structures Aluminum/Steel

envisioned, NASA is initiating work on advanced
boosters to support the anticipated maximum
performance capability of 130 mT to LEO. ATK
has developed an advanced Solid Rocket Booster
(SRB), which enables NASA’s exploration
objectives. The ATK Advanced Booster:
 Significantly improves affordability
 Advances booster technology while improving
reliability
 Exceeds NASA’s maximum lift requirement
with significant margin
 Provides the increased performance while
effectively managing all interface and vehicle
environment constraints
ATK Advanced Booster
ATK’s Advanced Booster design incorporates
innovations that deliver greater performance than
NASA’s requirements at a dramatically lower cost
and higher reliability. Our advanced manu-
facturing techniques and streamlined processes,
combined with an innovative design, result in a
booster that is 40 percent lower in cost than
previous five-segment SRBs.
The ATK Advanced Booster was designed to meet
the 130 mT maximum payload requirement for the
identified NASA exploration missions. In addition
to meeting the performance requirement, the ATK
Advanced Booster focuses on significantly
improving affordability and advancing booster
technology while improving reliability. ATK’s
Advanced Booster provides 42 percent of SLS
vehicle impulse while making up only 18 percent
of the total vehicle propulsion cost. Some of the
key features (Figure 2) of the ATK Advanced
Booster include:
 An advanced, more energetic propellant
425 in.
Nose Cone Composite
Forward Thrust Takeout
146 in.
Figure 2. Key Design Features of ATK Advanced
Booster
 A composite case with low cost, high strength
fibers
 Reduced number of segments to improve
processing at launch site
 Booster avionics that are compatible with the
overall vehicle avionics architecture
 Highest thrust of any booster available today
 An electric Thrust Vector Control (TVC)
system using common controller to other SLS
elements
 Simplified forward and aft structures
 Design features to improve launch site
processing
 Forward and aft attach concepts that
accommodate core shrinkage and booster
growth
The ATK Advanced Booster provides improve-
ments relative to the current boosters being flown
on the initial SLS demonstration flights (Figure 3).
A cost reduction of 40% is achieved by:
 Incorporating commercial aircraft composite
processing techniques
 Implementing Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
initiatives

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SLS Booster Advanced Booster

Forward Structures Nose Shaped 100 manhours eliminated
 Composite nose cone to Reduce $6.5M per booster in savings
 Modular avionics unit Aerodynamic
Loads on Core 438 lbm improvement
 Simplified forward skirt
70% improvement in reliability

Improved Ballistics No significant impact

 Increased MEOP High Isp, $9.2M per booster in savings
 High Isp density Density, and
Volumetric 24,590 lbm improvement
 Tailored thrust trace
Loading No significant impact
 Internal WEI

Simplified Stage Assemblies 480 manhours eliminated

 Simplified raceway (50% $150k per booster in savings
reduction in materials)
 Simplified case closeout ETVC No significant impact
SLS Booster
 Modular avionics and ETVC Installed as a Advanced Booster No significant impact
Single Unit

New Composite Case No significant impact

 Low-cost fiber/resin
 Reliable case joint No significant impact
 Efficient load path 4,128 lbm improvement
 Integral damage detection RSRM-style Tang and Clevis Hydroproof-to-Launch 0.5% improvement in reliability
 Four-segment case with Capture Feature Damage Detection

New Aft Structures 300 manhours eliminated

 Adaptable aft attach $8.4M per booster in savings
Attach Concept
 Simplified aft skirt
Accommodates Core 385 lbm improvement
 ETVC Shrinkage and Booster
 External power mount Growth 38% improvement in reliability

New Nozzle Commercial-Type

Flex Bearing No significant impact
 Eliminate flex boot
$0.7M per booster in savings
 Low-cost flex bearing
 Low-cost ablatives Higher Expansion Ratio 3,748 lbm improvement
for Added Payload
Out-of-Autoclave 1.6% improvement in reliability
Performance
Cure Materials

Reduce Cost by $40% Improve Reliability by 23.5%… Improve Performance by 15.1 mT

Legend
Manhours Cost Payload Reliability

Figure 3. ATK Advanced Booster Capability Improvements

 Simplified forward and aft structures Performance is increased by 15.1 mT due to:
 Expendable design
 Increased operating pressure
 Automated insulation application and propellant
 Improved propellant
processing
 Tailored thrust profile
 Commercial avionics components
 Increased expansion ratio
 Low cost nozzle materials
 Composite case
 Improved launch site processing
MISSION REQUIREMENTS
─ Forward structures are delivered and
installed as a single unit NASA has identified a number of potential human
─ Electric TVC system exploration missions (see Ref 1). These missions
─ Reduced number of case joints are divided into four categories: tactical, strategic,
architectural, and analysis.
Reliability is improved 23.5 percent by:
 Tactical Missions:
 Reduced number of case joints
 Improved propellant ─ Un-crewed Lunar Flyby: Single launch
 Simplified forward and aft structures mission to send unmanned Multi-purpose
Crew Vehicle (MPCV) around the moon
─ Eliminate welds in high stress regions
and return to Earth using initial capability
 Composite damage detection SLS (70 mT) with an interim Cryogenic
 Utilization of electric TVC Propulsion Stage (CPS)

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─ Crewed Lunar Orbit: Single launch mission launches to send a crew of 4 astronauts to
to send MPCV and a 4-person crew to a perform 1 week of surface operations on the
high lunar orbit for 4 days and return to moon while the MPCV orbits above,
Earth using initial capability SLS with an unmanned. Both launches utilize a Block 1
interim CPS CPS to place the Lunar Lander and the
MPCV into their low lunar orbit for
 Strategic Missions
rendezvous and docking. The Lander is
─ Crewed Lunar Orbit: Single launch mission launched on a 130-mT capable SLS and the
to send MPCV and a 4-person crew to a low MPCV is launched on a 105-mT SLS.
lunar orbit 3 days and return to Earth using
 Analysis Missions
105-mT capable SLS with a Block 1 CPS
─ Initial Capability Near Earth Asteroid ─ ISS Back-up Crew delivery: Mission uses a
(NEA): Two launch mission to send a 4- single SLS launch to deliver the MPCV
person crew to spend 2 weeks in an with a crew of 4 astronauts to the ISS for a
observational proximity to a NEA. This mission duration of up to 216 days (7
mission utilizes a cargo and crew version of months).
the 105-mT capability, MPCV, deep space ─ Geo Vicinity with Pre-Deploy: This mission
habitat, robotics and extravehicular activity uses two 105-mT SLS launches to deploy
module (REM) and two Block 1 CPS an undefined cargo and a MPCV with 3
astronauts into a Geosynchronous Earth
 Architectural Missions
Orbit (GEO) where they can rendezvous
─ Advanced NEA: Mission uses three and dock for a period of 12 days.
launches to assemble a deep space habitat,
For each of the missions NASA has identified the
REM, a Block 2 CPS, a Block 1 CPS, and
mission profile and capabilities for each of the
an MPCV in high earth orbit to send a crew
major mission elements. The lift capability
of 4 astronauts to spend 2 weeks in close
required by each SLS launch for every mission is
proximity to a NEA. The first two launches
summarized in Table 1. Notice that some missions
are cargo versions of the 105-mT capable
require multiple launches and the lift capability for
SLS and the third is a manned version of the
each launch is shown.
130-mT capable SLS.
─ Full Capability NEA: Mission uses three CONCLUSION
launches to assemble a deep space habitat,
Using capabilities of the SLS core stage provided
solar electric propulsion module, a Block 2
by NASA, ATK determined the payload capability
CPS, a Block 1 CPS, and an MPCV in high
of that core stage using the ATK Advanced
earth orbit to send a crew of 4 astronauts to
Booster. The overall vehicle performance was
spend 4 weeks in close proximity to a NEA
evaluated using a core first stage with 4 or 5 Space
where they will be able to perform
Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) and either a J-2X
extravehicular and surface operations
upper stage or no upper stage (Table 2). Using the
utilizing the full spectrum of exploration
ATK Advanced Booster, all but the two missions
technologies. All three launches utilize the
requiring 130 mT can be satisfied with a 4 SSME
105-mT capable SLS.
core stage and no upper stage. The 130 mT SLS
─ Lunar Surface Sortie: This mission uses two
ISS crew Backup

Low Lunar Orbit

Initial Capability

with Pre-deploy
Advanced NEA

Full Capability
Crewed Lunar

Lunar Surface

GEO Vicinity
Lunar Flyby
Un-Crewed

Sortie
Orbit

NEA

NEA

Space Launch
72 < 90 79 95.7 129.8 107.6 105 105 105 113 131 96.9 105 93.6 105 109.1
System (SLS)

Table 1. NASA Exploration Mission Lift Requirements (mT)

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GEO Vicinity with

Advanced NEA**
Un-Crewed Lunar

ISS Crew Backup

Low Lunar Orbit

Initial Capability

Full Capability
Crewed Lunar

Lunar Surface

Pre-deploy*
Sortie*
Flyby

Orbit

NEA

NEA
Year 2017 - 2021 - 2025 2028 2033 >2035 - -
Space Launch System (SLS) 72 <90 79 95.7 105 105 105 113* 131** 96.9 105 93.6 129.8* 107.6* 105 109.1*
Payload (mT) -50x975 -50x975
nm nm

NRA Proposal                
No U.S. 4 Eng  U.S. 4 Eng  *To be redesigned to fit within 105 vehicle capability (~113 gross)
No U.S. 5 Eng  U.S. 5 Eng  **To be redesigned to fit within 130 vehicle capability (~138 gross)

Table 2. ATK Advanced Booster Satisfies NASA Exploration Lift Requirements

missions will require a 5 SSME core stage and an 2030s, the cost of the upper stage can be deferred
upper stage, when combined with the ATK SRB. for a number of years, thus allowing NASA to
develop the other exploration elements necessary
Using the ATK Advanced Booster will allow
to have defined missions.
NASA to satisfy all but the two most demanding
missions using the core stage currently being References
developed for the initial demonstration flights.
1. NASA Exploration Systems Development
Since the more difficult missions are not
Concept of Operations, ESD 10012, May
anticipated until into the late 2020s or early
2012

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