Development of Reusable Structures and Mechanisms for CALLISTO

Abstract

In the project CALLISTO (Cooperative Action Leading to Launcher Innovation in Stage Toss-back Operations) DLR, JAXA and CNES are jointly developing and building a demonstrator for a vertical take-off, vertical landing rocket first stage. CALLISTO aims to gather essential knowledge for the development of operational reusable rockets by demonstrating relevant technologies that are enabling recovery and reuse and leading to a sustainable launcher market. The development and design of reusable load-carrying structures is particularly challenging since the components have to withstand a variety of complex maneuvers for multiple times while keeping the maintenance and repair operations between flights to a minimum. This paper focuses on the progress of the design for CALLISTO’s fairing, the deployable aerodynamic surfaces and the stowable approach & landing system considering the specific sizing load cases and functions during the mission. The challenges of movable structures, mechanisms and reusability are especially highlighted paying close attention on the detailed and individual design processes that are accompanied by analyses and pre-tests.