Multi-disciplinary Optimization of a Space Tourism Crew Module
摘要
There has been a rise in interest and efforts towards economic access to space and its tourism prospects in recent years. In this paper, we discuss the multi-disciplinary optimization of a crew module designed for space tourism. The module is attached atop a single-stage launch vehicle which delivers it to appropriate conditions before separation. After separation, the crew module is then oriented to a desired angle of attack, re-enters the atmosphere, and descends, with deceleration achieved via parachutes until touchdown. During the mission, tourists or scientific payloads in the module experience microgravity for a certain duration. In this paper, we optimize several parameters, including the shape of the crew module, engine thrust, altitudes of engine shutdown and stage separation, orientation during descent, to maximize the total duration of the microgravity experience. Two optimization problems are formulated with difference in the second objective being optimized: either the mass of the propellant used or the sensed acceleration levels in descent phase. The optimization combines disciplines of aerodynamics and flight dynamics by utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based surrogate models, and modified Newtonian methods while propagating the governing equations of trajectory.