Primary and Auxiliary Power Source Selection for Reusable Launch Vehicles

Future reusable launch vehicles will require primary and auxiliary power systems that support the program goals of reduced life cycle costs and increased reliability and safety. These goals are related to many factors that must be considered in selecting the optimal technologies for vehicle power systems. Considerations include mass and volume constraints, technology readiness and development costs, reliability, hazards, operating costs and system integration. For reusable systems, a particular e mphasis must be placed on ground operations and associated costs. In this paper, various power technologies are reviewed along with the factors that need to be considered in their selection. A systems approach is used to evaluate power source technologies including batteries, fuel cells and turbines. The candidate technologies are compared to see which technologies, or combinations of technologies best fit the requirements for particular vehicle mission classes.