ИСТИНА

The new project of a spacecraft launcher (SL) with reusable winged 1st stage boosters (RWB) developed by Khrunichev Space Center is considered. Since SL is operated in the atmosphere only, it makes sense to employ technologies, which may be new for the space industry, but have applied in aviation. A particular attention is given to RWB power-off reentry to alternative airfields along the ascent lane instead of direct flying back to the launch site after staging, as well as a profound controlled RWB reconfiguration in reentry flight, etc. The paper sets out results of integrated analysis of aerodynamics, through-optimized trajectories and masses of the RWB and SL, as well as an expert assessment of the maintenance costs sufficient to substantiate effectiveness of the alternative airfield solution in terms of the payload mass, launch reliability, and operational costs reduction. Four RWB layouts are considered, including ones with a delta- and unswept tilting wing, with and without subsonic air-breathing engines, and the original RWB-transformer. Objective peculiarities of the RWB recovery are highlighted for the Russian and Kourou cosmodromes