EELV Partially Reusable Booster

The development of reusable launch vehicles is a continued priority in an effort to reduce cost, increase responsiveness, and avoid expending expensive rocket hardware. Reusing an EELV booster engine combines reusability, proven launch vehicles, and EELV-sized payload capacity. In addition to cost reductions, it allows for flexibility in engine production rate. This paper outlines how the reusable launch vehicle community can utilize partial reusability options on Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELVs) as a springboard for long-term developments and proposes that in addition to the pursuit of responsive, reusable boosters for small payloads, partial reusability be developed for EELV-sized payloads.