The SpaceLiner7 - Vehicle and Rescue Capsule

Abstract

The SpaceLiner high speed passenger transport concept has been under investigation since 2005, and during this time the geometry has changed due to the application of progressively more detailed analyses. However, from the beginning safety was seen as an important issue and as such, the idea of having a passenger capsule within the orbiter was born. In addition to the capsule, other subsystems, the thermal protection system (TPS) in particular, increase the safety of the passengers. In the case of nominal missions, the capsule is used to increase the comfort of the passengers, whilst the reusable TPS of the orbiter protects against the heat loads. However, during the unlikely event of an emergency, the capsule separates from the orbiter and flies autonomously back to the Earth without harming the people inside. In this case, the TPS of the capsule will protect against the heat loads occurring during this emergency re-entry flight. This paper’s focuses are the latest geometry of the SpaceLiner 7 (orbiter, booster, capsule), and the different thermal protection system for the orbiter and the capsule.