A program for the conceptual design of one- or two-stage rocket powered launch vehicles.
The Space Shuttle Synthesis Program (SSSP) automates the trajectory, weights and performance computations essential for the conceptual design of a launch vehicle for earth-to-orbit operations. The baseline system is a two-stage vehicle consisting of a booster and an orbiter element, but single stage vehicles may be studied. The major parts of SSSP are a detailed weight/volume routine, a precision three-dimensional trajectory simulation, and the iteration and synthesis logic necessary to satisfy the hardware and trajectory constraints.
SSSP is a highly useful tool in conceptual design studies where the effects of various trajectory configuration and shuttle subsystem parameters must be evaluated relatively rapidly and economically. The program furnishes sensitivity and tradeoff data for proper selection of configuration and trajectory predesign parameters. Emphasis is placed upon predesign simplicity and minimum input preparation. Characteristic equations for describing aerodynamic and propulsion models and for computing weights and volumes are kept relatively simple. The synthesis program is designed for a relatively large number of two-stage Space Shuttle configurations and mission types, but avoids the complexity of a completely generalized computer program that would be unwieldy to use and/or modify.
This program was released by NASA through COSMIC as MSC-13914. The italicized text above is from the official NASA release.