The automation of pre-launch diagnostics for launch vehicles offers three potential benefits: improving safety, reducing cost, and reducing launch delays. The Ares I-X Ground Diagnostic Prototype demonstrated anomaly detection, fault detection, fault isolation, and diagnostics for the Ares I-X first-stage Thrust Vector Control and for the associated ground hydraulics while the vehicle was in th...

An independent assessment of the Advanced Reusable Transportation System (ARTS) has been conducted. The ARTS concept is an all-rocket, fully reusable launch vehicle utilizing electromagnetic launch assist. ARTS is fitted with a dual-fuel main propulsion system utilizing flight proven Space Shuttle Main Engines and RD-180s. Nominally, the vehicle is intended to operate without a crew using auton...

For the safe operation of a complex system like a (manned) launch vehicle, real-time information about the state of the system and potential faults is extremely important. The on-board FDDR (Failure Detection, Diagnostics, and Response) system is a software system to detect and identify failures, provide real-time diagnostics, and to initiate fault recovery and mitigation. The ERIS (Evaluation ...

Autonomous reusable launch vehicles (RLV) are being pursued as low-cost alternatives to expendable launch vehicles and the Shuttle. The employment of autonomous, reusable launch vehicles requires additional guidance and control robustness to fulfill the role of an adaptive human pilot, in the event of failures or unanticipated conditions. The guidance and control of these vehicles mandate new g...

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, under a cooperative agreement with NASA, will build and fly the X-33, a half-scale prototype of a rocket-based, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO), reusable launch vehicle (RLV). A 0.007-scale model of the X-33 604B0002G configuration was tested in four hypersonic facilities at the NASA Langley Research Center to examine vehicle stability and control characteristics and t...

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, under a cooperative agreement with NASA, will build and fly the X-33, a half-scale prototype of a rocket-based, single-stage-to-orbit (S S T O) , reusable launch vehicle (RLV). A 0.007-scale model of the X-33 604B0002G configuration was tested in four hypersonic facilities at the NASA Langley Research Center to examine vehicle stability and control characteristics a...

A hybrid approach to the design of attitude control system for a launch vehicle (LV) in atmospheric flight phase is proposed this paper, where structured H ? controller tuned using genetic algorithm (GA). The synthesis relies on classical archite...