NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Program

Category Scope

15 Launch Vehicles and Launch Operations

Includes all classes of launch vehicles, launch/space vehicle systems, and boosters; and launch operations. For related information see also 18 Spacecraft Design, Testing, and Performance; and 20 Spacecraft Propulsion and Power.

Definition

Launch Vehicles – Rockets or other vehicles used to transport satellites, space probes, or other payloads from the Earth (or other terrestrial surface) to space. NASA Thesaurus, Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use. Wm. H. Allen, ed., 1965. NASA SP-7.

NASA Interest

Exhaustive Interest : Design, research, development, testing, evaluation, and performance of any launch vehicle, combination of launch vehicle and space vehicle, launch system components, and all operating procedures and problems related to launch vehicles.

Negative Interest : Design, performance, and effects of military weapons and warheads delivered by launch vehicle; pyrotechnic rockets used for displays and festivals.

Input Subjects of Specific Interest

• air launched vehicles
• boosters (launch vehicles)
• combinations of launch vehicles and space vehicles
• commercial launch vehicles
• countdown
• design of launch vehicles, tanks, components, systems
• electromagnetic launchers (operations)
• launch operations
• launch vehicle auxiliary systems
• launch vehicle configurations
• launch vehicle design
• launch vehicle dynamics
• launch vehicle performance
• launch vehicle preparation
• launch vehicle stability
• launch vehicle testing
• launch vehicles
• light gas guns (operations)
• multistage launch vehicles
• nose cones
• orbit-on-demand vehicles
• reentry launch vehicles
• reusable vehicles
• rocket launchers
• rockets
• satellite launching dynamics
• separation and staging techniques (for stages of launch vehicles)
• single-stage launch vehicles
• sounding rockets