Winged Reusable Sounding Rocket
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

WIRES (WInged REusable Sounding rocket) is a Japanese project developing a winged single-stage reusable suborbital rocket as a test bed for a reusable orbital launch system or a crewed suborbital
spaceplane A spaceplane is a vehicle that can flight, fly and gliding flight, glide as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere and function as a spacecraft in outer space. To do so, spaceplanes must incorporate features of both aircraft and spacecraft. Orbit ...
. The full-size prototype, called WIRES-X, is expected to be launched in 2020.


Overview

Since 2005, the Space Systems Laboratory at
Kyushu Institute of Technology The is one of the 87 national universities in Japan. Located in Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, it is dedicated to education and research in the fields of science and technology. It is earlier abbreviated to KIT and is now official ...
in Japan has been developing a reusable winged robotic suborbital
test bed A testbed (also spelled test bed) is a platform for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of scientific theories, computing tools, and new technologies. The term is used across many disciplines to describe experimental research ...
rocket called WIRES (WInged REusable Sounding rocket) meant as a research project towards a future fully reusable space launch system, or even a suborbital
spaceplane A spaceplane is a vehicle that can flight, fly and gliding flight, glide as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere and function as a spacecraft in outer space. To do so, spaceplanes must incorporate features of both aircraft and spacecraft. Orbit ...
. The project is a collaborative effort that includes
JAXA The is the Japanese national air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into o ...
,
IHI Corporation , formerly known as is a Japanese engineering corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan that produces and offers ships, space launch vehicles, aircraft engines, marine diesel engines, gas turbines, gas engines, railway systems, turbocharge ...
, Japanese industry and universities, as well as the
University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public university, public research university in El Paso, Texas, United States. Founded in 1913 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, it is the third oldest academic component of the Univers ...
(UTEP), the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
(USC). The series of suborbital rockets being developed are called WIRES 13, WIRES 15 and WIRES-X, and all of them use an engine burning alcohol and liquid oxygen fuel. The full sized WIRES-X variant is expected to be launched in 2020 to be evaluated for its possible use as a "recoverable first stage" of an orbital launch system, and in the long term, as a crewed suborbital spaceplane for commercial tours.


Development

The concept builds on the original aerodynamic shape of HIMES (HIghly Maneuverable Experimental Sounding rocket) studied by the
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science , or ISAS, is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes which played a major role in Japan's space development. Established as part of the University of Tokyo ...
(ISAS, now part of the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The is the Japanese national Aeronautics, air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satell ...
) in the 1980s. The project is implementing a step-wise incremental size and complexity to its designs. In late 2009, the Kyutech team completed the flight experiments of a small-scale (7.1 kg) experimental winged rocket called WIRES 11 that used solid rocket motors; it was launched five times to an altitude of 500 m. The team then launched WIRES 14 (50 kg and 1.5 m length) in order to establish the efficacy of the body structure and new recovery system. WIRES 14 is a winged rocket propelled by a novel hybrid rocket engine called CAMUI (CAscaded MUltistage Impinging-jet) being developed by
Hokkaido University , or , is a public research university in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Founded in 1918, it is the fifth-oldest government-authorised university in Japan and one of the former Imperial Universities. The university finds its roots in Sapporo A ...
. As of late 2018, the WIRES project is studying and developing the aerodynamics, navigation, guidance control, composite structure, propulsion system, and cryogenic tanks for test models. The architecture timeline includes at least three more preliminary variants: a non-winged rocket called WIRES 13, and two winged rockets called WIRES 15 and Wires-X; the variant WIRES-X will be full-scale.


WIRES 13

WIRES 13 is a sub-scale test rocket propelled by two IPA-LOX (isopropyl alcohol and liquid oxygen) engines generating a total combined thrust of 20 kN, that are under development by the University of Southern California (USC) to reach a target altitude of about . The rocket has a length of , and a mass of . WIRES 13 aims to touch down the ground without damage using two stage parachutes and three airbags. The flight objective is validation of the telemetry and ground communication system, recovery parachute system, and launch and operation of a liquid engine.


WIRES 15

WIRES 15 has the same length and mass of WIRES 13; it is a sub-scale technology demonstrator propelled by a fully expander-cycle
LOX Lox is a fillet of brined salmon, which may be smoked. Lox is frequently served on a bagel with cream cheese, and often garnished with tomato, onion, cucumber, and capers. Etymology The American English word ''lox'' is a borrowing of Yiddi ...
-
methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The abundance of methane on Earth makes ...
engine developed in collaboration with JAXA and
IHI Corporation , formerly known as is a Japanese engineering corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan that produces and offers ships, space launch vehicles, aircraft engines, marine diesel engines, gas turbines, gas engines, railway systems, turbocharge ...
. It generates a thrust of 20 kN, and is targeted to reach an altitude of approximately 6 km. For this variant, Kyutech is collaborating with the
University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public university, public research university in El Paso, Texas, United States. Founded in 1913 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, it is the third oldest academic component of the Univers ...
(UTEP), JAXA and other institutions. WIRES 15 aims to touch down the ground without damage using two stage parachutes and three airbags. The flight tests of both WIRES 13 and WIRES 15 will be conducted at the launch facility of FAR ( Friends of Amateur Rocketry, Inc.) at the
Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...
in California, US, in May 2018 and March 2019 respectively.


WIRES-X

After completion of WIRES 13 and 15 flight tests, the suborbital full-size winged demonstrator called WIRES-X will be developed, and its first test flight is expected in 2020 to evaluate its resulting control and performance, expected to reach beyond altitude. It will also be evaluated for its potential to be used as the first stage of a two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle. WIRES-X has a total length of , a launch mass of 4.6 tons, and a payload capability of . It will be propelled by three LOX-methane engines, each developing 20 kN-thrust.


Spaceplane

If WIRES development is successful, the project engineers envision an additional application of the system as a suborbital crewed spaceplane for
space tourism Space tourism is human space travel for recreational purposes. There are several different types of space tourism, including orbital, suborbital and lunar space tourism. Tourists are motivated by the possibility of viewing Earth from space, ...
. The notional specifications of the vehicle are shown in the table.


Space Walker

Koichi Yonemoto, who was responsible of the development at Kyushu Institute of Technology, co-founded a company in 2017. Since Yonemoto transferred from Kyutech to
Tokyo University of Science , formerly "Science University of Tokyo" or TUS, informally or simply is a private research university located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. History Tokyo University of Science was founded in 1881 as The Tokyo Academy of Physics by 21 graduate ...
(TUS) in 2019, WIRES is being developed by Space Walker and TUS. , Space Walker aims to launch suborbital uncrewed spaceplane in 2024, orbital launch of small satellites in 2026, and suborbital crewed spaceplane in 2029. A sub-scale model WIRES#014-3A was launched on 17 March 2020.


See also

*
Adeline (rocket stage) Adeline (''Ad''vanced ''E''xpendable ''L''auncher with ''In''novative engine ''E''conomy) was a concept for a reusable launch vehicle, rocket First stage (rocketry), first-stage that would fly itself back to Earth after a launch using Unmanned aer ...
, reusable winged first stage *
Reusable launch system A reusable launch vehicle has parts that can be recovered and reflown, while carrying payloads from the surface to outer space. Rocket stages are the most common launch vehicle parts aimed for reuse. Smaller parts such as fairings, boosters ...


References

{{emerging technologies, topics=yes, space=yes Reusable launch systems Proposed space launch vehicles Space access Spaceplanes JAXA