NASA Study Summary: "A Study of Large Solid Propellant Boosters" 1959

Here's 440 pages of early rocketry goodness summarized from a 1959 Lockheed Missiles and Space Division report to NASA on large solid propellant boosters. Similar to the earlier GCR large solid rocket study, this one is rife with early proposals for various configurations of clustered solid rocket motor boosters, though this study uses liquid fuelled upper stages, which are obviously superior in those roles, especially LH2 powered stages, though they DO have a propensity for using RP-1 fuelled second stages. Interestingly enough, the construction of large diameter pressurized fuel tanks for large liquid fuelled rocket stages seems to have been an item of concern, because in several proposals in this study, mention is given to clustering of smaller diameter oxidizer and fuel tanks to avoid the problem, much the way Saturn I was built from clustered smaller diameter tanks. Of course the negative impact of clustering small tanks on mass fraction of upper stages wasn't discussed (it's far less important to have the best mass fraction possible on first stages, but on second and third stages it's MUCH more critical, especially for escape stages where every pound saved directly trades to an extra pound of payload delivered!)

Anyway, enjoy the summary and the pics of Lockheed's ideas for solid propellant large NASA type boosters ala 1959...

Later! OL JR

View attachment NASA Study Summary- A Study of Large Solid Propellant Boosters 1959.txt

Pic one is the 1 million pound gross weight vehicle, composed of a cluster of four 110,000 lb propellant each SRMs for the first stage, a cluster of small LOX/RP-1 tanks feeding four H-1 type kerosene engines for the second stage, and a similar cluster of LOX/LH2 tanks feeding a pair of what looks to be early-spec J-2 engines on the third stage...


Pic two is a similar vehicle composed of a monolithic large SRM first stage with four nozzles (upscaled Minuteman motor) with large monolithic tanks for the second and third stages, using four kerosene burning H-1 engines for the second stage, and a pair of early-spec J-2's for the third stage... Note the "toroidal pressurization gas tanks" girdling the LOX/fuel intertank areas...


Pic three is a comparison between the clustered motors/tanks concept vehicle and the monolithic motor/tanks concept vehicle...


Pic four is a 1 million lb vehicle using LH2 engines for both the second and third stages, with a monolithic SRM first stage. Evidently they used a cluster of four J-2 type engines on the second stage and a single J-2 type on the third stage.


Pic five is a vehicle designed to boost payloads to geosynchronous orbit (24 hr orbit as they call it here). The second stage is RP-1 powered by four H-1 type engines, the upper stage powered by a single J-2 type engine, and the first stage is a monolithic SRM...


More to come... OL JR

Pic one is a four-stage vehicle for geosynchronous orbit missions-- the first stage is the monolithic SRM, second stage is RP-1 powered by four H-1 type engines, third stage is LH2 powered by a pair of J-2 type engines, and the fourth stage has a single J-2 type...


Pic two is the five million pound vehicle-- the first stage is a cluster of seven 120 inch SRMs with 313,000 lbs propellant each, the second stage is fuelled by RP-1 in clustered tanks feeding a pair of F-1 engines at 1.5 million pounds thrust each, and the third stage is LH2 powered feeding a cluster of TEN early J-2 type engines from a clustered assembly of tanks... MASSIVE!


Pic three is the same five million pound vehicle, but optimized for the geosynchronous orbit mission-- this time adding a fourth stage with a cluster of hydrogen/oxygen tanks feeding a pair of J-2 type engines...


Pic four is a comparison of different categories of vehicles, each using the same assemblage of motors for the SRM first stage-- lighting NINETEEN SRMs simultaneously for the first stage of the 5 million pound vehicle would probably give some safety/reliability statistician sleepless nights nowdays!!!


Pic five is a comparison of vehicles using smaller second stage engines...


More to come! OL JR

The last pic here is the "typical" universal motor they were proposing for the vehicles in this study...


Later! OL JR