Pogo Report Jet Engine Launch Assist Concept (JELAC) - Pogo


POGO - INTRODUCTION


FORWARD TO WWW VERSION

This report has been edited (from it's original paper version) . Some format changes were made to suit electronic hypertext as opposed to paper. Occasional editorial notes have been added.

This author thanks the many people who helped make this study and report possible.

Original Publishing in Paper Form: April 1996
First Appearing in HTML: November 1996
Author and Typist: Glenn Olson


TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES

  1. Pogo as a Launch-Assist Vehicle - Profiles
  2. Pogo as a Pegasus Launcher, In-flight
  3. Early Pogo Configuration With Embedded Engines - 1
  4. Early Pogo Configuration With Embedded Engines - 2
  5. Upper-Stage Payload Altitude Sensitivity
  6. Upper-Stage Payload Velocity Sensitivity
  7. Cost Comparison - Baseline & Pogo Costs
  8. Cost Comparison - Pogo Cost Sensitivity

LIST OF TABLES

  1. Capabilities of Current Aircraft
  2. Thrust/Weight Estimate for a Five-Engine Pogo With Pegasus
  3. Upper-Stage Payload Altitude Sensitivity
  4. Upper-Stage Payload Velocity Sensitivity
  5. Estimated Costs for a Five-Engine Pogo With Pegasus Upper Stage
  6. Five-Engine Pogo/Pegasus Unreliability Costs
  7. Estimated Costs for a Ten-Engine Pogo With Taurus Upper Stage
  8. Ten-Engine Pogo/Taurus Unreliability Costs
  9. Estimated Costs for a Ten-Engine Pogo With New LOX/LH2 Upper Stage
  10. Ten-Engine Pogo/New LOX/LH2 Upper-Stage Unreliability Costs
  11. Pogo Cost Comparisons

GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS

ACWG
Advanced Concepts Working Group
C3I
Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence
DoD
Department of Defense
D&A
Development and Acquisition
IHPTET
Integrated High Payoff Turbine Engine Technology
Isp
Specific Impulse
LEO
Low Earth Orbit
LOX/LH2
Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Hydrogen
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
O&S
Operations and Support
POST
Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories
Scramjet
Supersonic Combustion Ramjet
SST
Supersonic Transport
TAV
Trans Atmospheric Vehicle
TTC
Time to Climb
T/W
Thrust/Weight
VTOL
Vertical Take-off and Landing

INTRODUCTION

The high cost of spacelift is becoming more of a concern each year because of funding constraints. At the same time, interest in utilizing space for both military and civilian activities is increasing. This has raised considerable interest throughout the world to find ways to dramatically lower the cost of spacelift. The most common and sought after goal is a 90% reduction in cost. Over the past few years there have been several concepts developed to reduce the cost of spacelift. These range from the USAF's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, to the National Aeronautics amd Space Administration's (NASA's) Reusable Launch Vehicle program, and include a host of small satellite launch concepts.

The Pogo concept was studied from March through October 1995 as a spacelift launch assist concept. Because of funding constraints this study received only limited engineering analysis. The Pogo performance was estimated by comparisons to operational aircraft, while the upper-stage performance was estimated using well-known computer modeling software. The opinions of experts in jet engines, rocket propulsion, and aircraft systems were garnered and included in this report.

Though many configurations are possible, the physical configurations depicted in the artists' renditions in Figures 1 to 4 were developed as points of departure for discussions. Operational Pogos may or may not bear any resemblance to these.


Figure 1, Pogo as a Launch-Assist Vehicle - Profiles


[editor's note: Color added for WWW]



Figure 2, Pogo as a Pegasus Launcher, In-Flight



Figure 3, Early Pogo Configuration With Embedded Engines - 1



Figure 4, Early Pogo Configuration With Embedded Engines - 2


While not part of the original intent of this study many other possible uses for the basic concept were identified. Because of their potentially high value to both the military and industry, these uses are included in Appendix A. They include special purpose heavy-lift vehicles for cargo transport and firefighting, very rapid parcel transport, and others.



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This Page Last Updated 29 May 97