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Architectural Assessment Tool - enhanced (AATe), A Hi-level Space Transportation Systems Ground Operations Model

2003

Papers & Presentations ¦ The Project ¦ Contact

The AATe is an MS Excel based application using an intuitive and friendly user interface to define the design of each stage of a reusable launch system. Up to 6 such stages may be defined. The AATe works ideally for reusable boosters defined at a very conceptual level. Results are best used comparatively, such as relative to Shuttle and to other concepts assessed with the tool, however absolute values may be used for ROM level preliminary analysis. The AATe has capabilities such as:

  • Ability to save, save-as, and open saved AATe files external to the spreadsheet / visual basic software.
  • Error checking to prevent un-intended errors in data entry and analysis.
  • Notes may be stored with a concept file.
  • Comparative reporting capability. Load up to 10 concepts at a time and create comparative tables and graphs.
  • Complete user guide in HTML with screen shots and multiple examples.

Number of Required Inputs per Stage:

  • 29 required, 62 Optional for increased fidelity
    • Example Input Types:
      • Degree of Sub-systems Integration
      • Number of Toxic Fluids
      • Reliability, Loss of Vehicle
      • Payload per Flight
      • Length, Width, Height and Weight of concept
      • Margin

Types of Outputs for a Reusable Launch System:

  • Recurring Yearly Operations Costs, Program Wide
    • Operations Yearly Fixed Costs
    • Operations Variable Costs (per flight)
  • Cycle Times for Landing, Turnaround, Integration and Launch processes (calendar days)
    • Fleet size required to achieve a flight rate per year
  • Non-Recurring Operations Costs
    • Facility and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Acquisition costs.
    • Facility and GSE requirement (numbers of major facilities) required to achieve a flight rate per year
    • The AATe includes elements of the "FACGSE" Facility and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) spreadsheet calculator.

Papers & Presentations:

The Project:

  • Created a model that was useful in NASA space transportation system trades in the 1999-2003 timeframe.
  • Provided a basis for making ground operations estimates combining relatively simple architectural level inputs correlated to advances or declines in processing cost or time relative to the Space Shuttle.

Use Case

Input your concept by describing featured attributes of the system

Define Some Details...DMES Used? LOX? Hydrocarbon? Hypers?

View Output Reports

Program Level Fixed Costs (per year)

Program Level Variable Costs (per flight)

Landing, Turnaround, Integration and Launch Processing Times

The Team & Acknowledgements:

  • Acknowledgements:
    • The Vision Spaceport Project was crucial to the advancement of this tool, starting as a prototype for exploring certain calculation schemes, ending as a small project and a useful software tool exercised in many NASA studies.

Milestones:

  • Version 1.0d Released 2003.

Contacts, Further Information, Distribution:

The AATe tool is freely available to government, industry and academia upon request. Please review all "models" in considering any need for a copy. Please state name and organization with the request.

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Also see:

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Website Contact: Edgar Zapata, NASA Kennedy Space Center