Conceptual Design of Single-Stage Launch Vehicle with Hybrid Rocket Engine for Scientific Observation Using Design Informatics

A single-stage launch vehicle with hybrid rocket engine has been conceptually designed by using design informatics, which has three points of view as problem definition, optimization, and data mining. The primary objective of the design in the present study is that the sufficient down range and duration time in the lower thermosphere are achieved for the aurora scientific observation whereas the initial gross weight is held down. The multidisciplinary design optimization and data mining were performed by using evolutionary hybrid computation under the conditions that polypropylene as solid fuel and liquid oxygen as liquid oxidizer were adopted and that single-time ignition is implemented in sequence. Consequently, the design information regarding tradeoffs and the behavior of the design variables was obtained.