Suggested Citation:
Sarigul-Klijn, Nesrin, Marti M. Sarigul-Klijn, Gary Hudson, Bevin McKinney (2011) Concept and Design Details of a Universal Gas-Gas Launch Escape System. Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets 48 (4), 609 - 617

Human space exploration vehicles must be designed with a reliable and safe launch escape system to be activated in the event of a failure on the pad or at altitude. A safe, reliable, highly flexible, and adaptable launch escape system that can be used with most proposed commercial space capsules was conceived after conducting propulsion and configuration trade studies. The outcome of these studies is a novel gas–gas propulsion system with a tractor configuration- based launch escape system. Preliminary design of this joint universal launch escape and assist system is detailed. It is designed to accelerate a crew capsule away from a launch vehicle in case of an emergency on the pad or during the early portions of the trajectory at up to approximately 300,000 ft of altitude. It is designed to tractor the spacecraft to a sufficient altitude and with enough downrange translation so that the parachute landing system of the capsule can safely function. During mid- and high-altitude aborts, a reentry gravity-reduction mode of this novel escape system can start and stop its high-pressure gaseous oxygen and gaseous methane engines and can direct thrust in such a way as to shape the reentry trajectory to reduce the abort reentry deceleration. Finally, it has an ascent-assist mode that can be used to offset the normal payload penalty in the event that the emergency abort function is not used.