Hypersonic Point-to-Point Transportation Benchmark Study (Boost-Glide Versus Cruise): Methodology

No public domain study exists that performs a comprehensive comparison between the boost-glide and cruise flight modes. This study intends to bridge part of this gap by generating solution spaces of boost-glide and cruiser point designs for varying mission and geometry parameters. A limited trade space exploration is performed, where the two flight modes are compared based on vehicle size, weight, industry capability level, and direct operating cost to identify any advantages and disadvantages. The typical definition of “boost-glide” has been broadened such that both the cruiser and boost-glide vehicles in this study are single stage and have horizontal takeoff and landing capability. This is an “extreme” case comparison. The cruisers are purely airbreathing and the boost-glide vehicles combine airbreathing and rocket propulsion systems. Both use liquid hydrogen fuel. They are sized for ranges up to 11,000 nmi, cruise Mach up to Mach 12, and payload up to 55,000 lb. This paper discusses 1) the background of the cruiser versus boost-glide comparison, 2) the cruiser and boost-glide vehicle sizing process, 3) the disciplinary methods, and 4) the study definition and assumptions. A separate companion paper details the results of the sizing study.