Parametric analysis of a two-stage small launcher using a MDO approach

The paper presents the influence of the main design requirements on the optimal two-stage small launcher configuration. The influence of target orbit altitude, payload mass, typical missions, and the type of liquid propellant (oxidizer - fuel pair) used on the launcher characteristics is quantified. The launchers are obtained using a multidisciplinary design optimisation (MDO) algorithm, where the lowest mass configuration capable of accurately inserting the payload into the target orbit is considered to be optimal.