Military Starship Applications

[Yazata]

One of the participants on nsf discovered this on page 305 of a very fascinating Department of the Air Force document.

https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/84/d...Rg4A%3d%3d

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Title: Rocket Cargo
Description: The Department of the Air Force seeks to leverage the current multi-billion dollar commercial investment to develop the largest rockets ever, and with full reusability to develop and test the capability to leverage a commercial rocket to deliver AF cargo anywhere on the Earth in less than one hour, with a 100-ton capacity. The Air Force is not investing in the commercial rocket development, but rather investing in the Science & Technology needed to interface the capability with DoD logistics needs, and extend the commercial capability to DoD-unique missions. Provides a new, faster and cheaper solution to the existing TRANSCOM Strategic Airlift mission. Enables AFSOC to perform current Rapid-Response Missions at lower cost, and meet a one-hour response requirement. Rocket Cargo uses modeling, simulation, and analysis to conduct operational analysis, verify military utility, performance, and operational cost. S&T will include novel "loadmaster" designs to quickly load/unload a rocket, rapid launch capabilities from unusual sites, characterization of potential landing surfaces and approaches to rapidly improve those surfaces, adversary detectability, new novel trajectories, and an S&T investigation of the potential ability to air drop a payload after reentry. This is not a rocket engine or launch vehicle development program. It is an S&T effort to leverage the commercial development into a novel new DoD capability.

FY 2021 Plans:
Utilize modeling, simulation, and analysis to conduct operational analysis of Rocket Cargo concepts, trajectories, and design considerations and verify military utility, performance, and operational cost. Gather operational data from on-going commercial large-scale, instrumented, reusable launch events.

FY 2022 Plans:
Mature effort in leveraging commercial space launch to create military capability in Rocket-based Cargo delivery. Complete S&T testing leveraging the current commercial prototype testing. Perform site measurements needed to integrate the capability onto DoD missions including plume-surface physics and toxicity, loads, detectability, and acoustics. Also, complete initial AFRL wind tunnel testing to assess novel trajectories needed for air-drop capability, and high-speed separation physics. Under contract and CRADA, partner with Commercial to test and demonstrate an initial one-way transport capability to an austere site. Seek to perform an early end-to-end test to fully identify the technical challenges. In addition, complete Industry outreach for loadmaster concepts including novel container designs, load/unload concepts, and testing the compatibility of AF cargo with rocket launch and space environments. Issue solicitation and award contracts.

FY 2021 to FY 2022 Increase/Decrease Statement:
FY 2022 increased compared to FY 2021 by $38.169 million. Funding increased due to planned program requirements and the development and maturation activities described above.

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In particular note:

The Department of the Air Force seeks to leverage the current multi-billion dollar commercial investment to develop the largest rockets ever, and with full reusability to develop and test the capability to leverage a commercial rocket to deliver AF cargo anywhere on the Earth in less than one hour, with a 100-ton capacity.

There's really only one rocket currently under development that fits that description.

And for fiscal year 2022, this:

Under contract and CRADA, partner with Commercial to test and demonstrate an initial one-way transport capability to an austere site. Seek to perform an early end-to-end test to fully identify the technical challenges.

Meaning not only is SpaceX contracted to perform a Starship orbital refueling demonstration for nasa next year, it's being proposed in this document that the air force/space force contract for a point-to-point demonstration next year as well. Looks like interest is growing in what these Starships can potentially do and the Boca Chica order book is starting to expand. It isn't just the HLS contract that has gotten all the media attention (and is being appealed by Blue Origin). (And notably both the orbital refueling and P-to-P demonstrations are penciled in to happen before Blue Origin's new Glenn rocket even flies.)

So the pressure is on SpaceX to move Starship development as quickly as they can. Which might explain the new emphasis on building out the orbital launch complex and the apparent decision not to refly Sn15 and perhaps to scrap Sn16 before it ever flies. They seem to have decided to power on straight to orbital. Rumor is that Elon is currently on site at Starbase and they are formulating new plans as we speak.

Landing a P-t0-P Starship from what presumably will be a fractional-orbit trajectory will demand that reentry and survival of the vehicle already be reasonably perfected. Orbital refueling is easier since there's no requirement that the tanker or the vehicle being refueled land afterwards. So I would expect a rapid launch cadence of orbital launches early next year and maybe even later this year to perfect the heat shield etc.

[C C]

So even if things go bust in terms of Starship acquiring damage while landing or resting for long periods in a Lunar or Martian environment (that would range from not-easy to impossible to repair), it may still have a role on Earth. Where rescues/repairs may be more possible (even in orbit).

[Yazata]

Official announcement made today:

Though they never mention it by name, this reads like it's all about SpaceX, Starship and what's happening at the Boca Chica Starbase. People in Washington are starting to notice. (Which is good for SX, since the government is less apt to cripple it with restrictive regulations when other branches of the same government are betting on its eventual success.) Obviously Blue could/should become another player in this space as well, if they ever develop a second stage with sufficient cargo capacity and capable of landing to ride atop their big new (much delayed) reusable booster. Others like traditional aerospace could produce prototypes as well. But right now, there's just one player that looks suitable for what the military wants to do here.

Highlighting by me:

https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article/...d-program/

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"The Department of the Air Force announced June 4 the designation of Rocket Cargo as the fourth Vanguard program as part of its transformational science and technology portfolio identified in the DAF 2030 Science and Technology strategy for the next decade. Additionally, the U.S. Space Force was designated as the lead service for Rocket Cargo Vanguard, marking the service’s first such program.

Under the Rocket Cargo Vanguard, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will lead a science and technology effort to determine the viability and utility of using large commercial rockets for Department of Defense global logistics, potentially expanding the portfolio of capabilities the USSF presents to combatant commanders. The Space and Missile Systems Center will serve as the Program Executive Officer.

AFRL will research and develop the unique aspects needed to leverage the new commercial capability for the DoD logistics mission. This includes the ability to land a rocket on a wide range of non-traditional materials and surfaces, including at remote sites. In addition, AFRL scientists and engineers will research the ability to safely land a rocket near personnel and structures, engineer a rocket cargo bay and logistics for rapid loading and unloading, and air drop cargo from the rocket after re-entry in order to service locations where a rocket or aircraft cannot possibly land.

“The Air Force has provided rapid global mobility for decades and Rocket Cargo is a new way the Department can explore complimentary capabilities for the future,” said Acting Secretary of the Air Force John Roth. “Vanguard initiatives lead to game-changing breakthroughs that preserve our advantage over near-peer competitors, and this latest addition is also a significant milestone as the first Vanguard evaluated under the Space Force’s oversight.”

Based on the advertised commercial capability and business objectives, the AFRL is currently assessing emerging rocket capability across the commercial vendor base, and its potential use for quickly transporting DoD materiel to ports across the globe.

“The Rocket Cargo Vanguard is clear example of how the Space Force is developing innovative solutions as a service, in particular the ability to provide independent options in, from, and to space,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond. “Once realized, Rocket Cargo will fundamentally alter the rapid logistics landscape, connecting materiel to joint warfighters in a fraction of the time it takes today. In the event of conflict or humanitarian crisis, the Space Force will be able to provide our national leadership with an independent option to achieve strategic objectives from space.”

Delivering cargo via rocket transportation is not a new concept. Historically the high costs of launch have been prohibitive for a logistics-focused application, and the relatively small payload capability constrained the types of cargo that could be delivered, also limiting its suitability. Today several commercial companies are quickly generating new opportunities by developing large rockets and reusable stages that safely land back on earth, expanding cargo capacity and dramatically reducing launch costs.

“Rapid logistics underpins our ability to project power,” said Gen. Arnold W. Bunch, Jr., Air Force Materiel Command commander. “That is the fundamental motivation for initiating the Rocket Cargo program. We see its initial applications in swiftly restoring operational capability for forces forward in austere environments as well as dramatically reducing the time required to deliver crucial humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.”

Under the new Rocket Cargo Vanguard, the DAF will seek to leverage these commercial advances and position the DoD to be an early adopter of the new commercial capability. This approach is a marked departure from the past, where the U.S. government led rocket technology development and bore the brunt of the cost. Today, with the commercial space launch providers developing the advanced rockets, the DAF will instead primarily invest in the S&T needed to quickly adapt the capability to the DoD logistics missions, and then be the first customer procuring the new commercial capability through service leases.

The military utility of the new capability includes support to the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) resupply mission, with faster delivery and potentially at lower cost. AFRL is closely partnered with USTRANSCOM to assess the trade space of a potential Rocket Cargo capability for global logistics, including potential improvements in delivery cost and speed compared to existing air cargo operations. Potential mission applications include Special Airlift to deliver equipment needed to quickly restore a loss of mission operations, and humanitarian aid and disaster relief payloads to stricken areas.

Rocket Cargo joins three current Vanguard programs, including Skyborg (an initiative to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with autonomous Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) to enable manned-unmanned teaming); NTS-3 (a flight experiment to examine and field capabilities across the ground, space and user segments to enhance space-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT)); and Golden Horde (an initiative to demonstrate collaborative autonomous networked weapons by creating an integrated weapon system where different technologies work together to defeat targets).

Vanguard programs rapidly advance emerging weapon systems and warfighting concepts through prototyping and experimentation. With these programs, the DAF aims to deliver game changing new operational capabilities that provide warfighters with superior advantages on the battlefield in the next decade."