Aerodynamic Outer Mold Line Optimization of a Reusable Unmanned Orbiter Vehicle

The wing/body design of reusable launch vehicles must meet the aerodynamic constraints through the complete speed regime from hypersonic entry to subsonic landing. In order to investigate a complete range of wing and body shapes, parametric geometry models were developed and integrated with the Aerodynamic Preliminary Analysis System (APAS) to perform an aerodynamic optimization. A design of experiments was used to explore the design space and determine the sensitivities of the geometric parameters to the aerodynamic constraints of trim over a desired range of angles of attack in hypersonic flight and landing performance. Results showed that an integrated body-wing solution is required to meet the aerodynamic constraints and that center-of-gravity location is a key driver for feasible solutions.