Multi-Criteria Conceptual Design Analysis of Single Stage Suborbital Launch Vehicle

ABSTRACT This paper presents the design analysis of a suborbital launch vehicle by performing a multidisciplinary optimization analysis. The design problem consists of establishing the optimized launch scenario using the interior point optimization method. The minimization of the objective function (the total mass of the launch vehicle) is validated by a multi-criteria approach. It is shown that establishing the performance of the launch vehicle should meet the criteria of security and control during the launch mission. The security aspect is represented by adherence to the dynamic pressure for structural matters of the launch vehicle and the acceleration, represented by the G-force, which should remain tolerable. Control is denoted by keeping the vehicle’s velocity within the range required for a suborbital flight mission. The approach followed is appealingly constructive for conserving the multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) formulation for a post-performance analysis.