The anatomy of a launch vehicle : quarterly report topic
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2001-01-01
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Abstract:Conceptually, a rocket is a simple machine. Following Newton?s law that every force has an equal and opposite reaction, a rocket pushes mass in one direction and moves in the other. However, a modern space launch vehicle is a finely tuned and very complex device. This report discusses the basic details of expendable launch vehicles and explores
their function and operations. A launch vehicle is composed of a number of separable sections called stages. Each stage contains fuel tankage, propulsion systems, and control systems. As each stage exhausts its fuel (the largest part of its mass), it is discarded to reduce the amount of mass that the next stage must propel. As each stage is discarded the total vehicle mass is reduced, also reducing the amount of energy required to lift the remaining vehicle mass. Each stage of a vehicle is made up of four basic subsystems. These are as follows:
? Propulsion
? Structure
? Tankage
? Guidance and control
In addition to the components that make up each vehicle stage, the vehicle as a whole must also have a payload fairing in which to
carry its payload.
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