Efficiency in Carrying Cargo to Earth Orbits: Spaceports Repositioning

Authors

  • Jakub Hospodka Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Transportation Sciences
  • Zdeněk Houfek Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Transportation Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14311/MAD.2016.20.01

Keywords:

Atmosferic drag, Earth rotation, Hohmann transfer, Rockets, Spaceports, Tsiolkovski equation

Abstract

Space flights are in these days not any more question of technology, but more question of costs. One way how to decrease cost of launch is change of home spaceport. Change of home spaceport for different rockets is a way to achieve more efficient launches to space. The reason is different acceleration achieved from Earth rotation. We added several mathematical calculations of missions to Low Earth Orbit and Geostationary Earth Orbit to show bonuses from Earth rotation and effect of atmospheric drag on specific rockets used these days. We discussed only already used space vessels. Namely Arianne 5, Delta 4 heavy, Proton-M, Zenit and Falcon9. For reaching GEO we discuss possibility of using Hohmman transfer, because none of aforementioned vessels is available for direct GEO entry. As possible place for launch we discussed spaceports Baikonur, Kennedy Space center, Guyana Space center and Sea Launch platform. We present results in form of additional acceleration for each spaceport, and we also project this additional acceleration in means payload increase. In conclusion we find important differences between vessel effectivity based on spaceport used for launch. Change of launch location may bring significant cost decrease for operators.

Author Biographies

  • Jakub Hospodka, Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Transportation Sciences
    Department of Air Transport
  • Zdeněk Houfek, Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Transportation Sciences
    Department of Air Transport

References

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Center for Operation of Ground-based Space Infrastructure Facilities. Zenit-3SLBF ILV/Zenit-M SRC User’s guide, 2011. URL http://www.tsenki.com/en/launch_services/equipment_maintenance/zenit_3slbf/guide/users_guide.pdf. [Online].

W. Hohmann. The Attainability of Heavenly Bodies. NASA, 1960.

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Published

2016-10-17

Issue

Section

Review Articles