Analysis of the Winged Air Vehicles Features Applicability for Launching Satellites into Low Earth Orbit

14th International Armament Conference. Scientific Aspects of Armament and Safety Technology 2022
Nikolajs Kuļešovs, Sergey Kravchenko, Vladimirs Šestakovs, Zbigniew Satnislaw Koruba

Innovative technical solutions are considered for launching pico- and nanosatellites to low Earth orbits (LEO) using an aircraft platform. This launch system includes an A319 transport aircraft as an aircraft platform and a three-stage launch vehicle, code-named LatLaunch. After being dropped from the aircraft platform, the first stage, the aerodynamic prototype of one of the supersonic interceptor fighters, delivers the second stage to its optimum height at the optimum speed and flight path angle. The article presents the results of a study of the technical characteristics of existing and prospective samples of aviation technology to obtain the necessary compromise between the altitude and flight speed of the first stage of LatLaunch in conjunction with the second stage before its uncoupling and an assessment of the characteristics of the second stage, which are necessary to carry out the withdrawal of the third stage of LatLaunch system to a given height at a given speed. The third stage is the classic rocket which, after being dropped, launches the payload into the reset altitude with the preset speed and angle of the path.

Keywords
platform aircraft, satellite launch system, aerodynamic performances, mathematical modelling

Kuļešovs, N., Kravchenko, S., Šestakovs, V., Koruba, Z. Analysis of the Winged Air Vehicles Features Applicability for Launching Satellites into Low Earth Orbit. In: 14th International Armament Conference. Scientific Aspects of Armament and Safety Technology, Poland, Ryn, 19-22 September, 2022. Warszawa: P.P.H. Remigraf Sp. z.o.o., 2022, pp.161-161.

Publication language
English (en)