Abstract:

 Aiming at how to solve the matching problems between the aerodynamic performance demands and the aerothermal protection in the full flight envelope of the future space shuttle which can horizontally take-off and should be affordable and reusable, typical related aerodynamic technology study state of this type of aerospace vehicle and the main problems of the existing space shuttle are analyzed. The aerodynamic conceptual design of a larger affordable space transportation system is investigated under the new idea of energy loss speed control or even recovery with the following methods: aerothermal protection relax, turbojet-scramjet-rocket combined engine, full speed range morphing wing and the special reentry trajectory control with wavy flight mode and so on. The obtained scheme (named LARSTS) can satisfy the normal airport condition, and the preliminary aerodynamic and aerothermal estimated results show that LARSTS owns a significantly better performance than the existing space shuttle in full flight envelope. It is worthy to be studied further in the future.

Key words: Horizontal-takeoff, Reusable, Aerospace vehicle, Morphing in full speed range, Aerothermal protection relax, Flight trajectory control