DIRD_05_Materials_for_Advanced_Aerospace_Platforms.pdf

12 January 2010 
ICOD: 1 December 2009 
DIA-08·0912·008 
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Defense 
Intelligence 
Reference 
Document 
Acquisition Threat Support 
Materials for Advanced 
Aerospace Platforms 
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Materials for Advanced Aerospace Platforms 
Prepared by: 
r)(3):10 USC 424 
Defense Intelligence Agency 
Author: 
Administrative Note 
COPYRIGHT WARNING: Further dissemination of the photographs in this publication is not authorized. 
This product is one in a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2009 
under the Defense Intelligence Agency, !(b)(3):10 USC 424 
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UNCLASSIFIED A/F OR OPPECEAE USE OnE Contents Introduction.......0.2 pu pennceanaecnanaeaenacsecnensreueuauensecussanes auanenenanan avenneane Mane nssawenenananauaranen iv Launch Vehicles ..........05 eusereses eee ru sane vanesevenseenerersracscuseseveouseseseseseseneveveneresnreres wed Reusable Crew Modules........... pe nananeneuauansuanenanene pada nenaneeeeanaeesananacenensnananersuanensnanae 9 Reusable Single-Stage-to-Orbit Vehicles .........ccscscsesessmcousecususnsasecusnensaveseneses 10 Advanced Al AllOyS ...c.csc00 anensnananene be nanenanadananaseasnenananananqnacansecnanenanensues…

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Materials for Advanced Aerospace Platforms 
Introduction 
"Advanced aerospace platforms" is a broad topic that can be divided into 
several narrower subtopics to enable a more concise discussion of materials 
advances, challenges, and opportunities. Consequently, this document 
discusses the areas of launch vehicles, space vehicles, and space propulsion 
systems separately because their key requirements are often application 
specific, which affects materials selection decisions. In addition, single-use 
and reusable boosters have different durability re…

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this demonstrated inspections capability. Implementation of these standards, 
starting with the B-1 bomber and the F-100 and F-110 engines, has 
dramatically reduced {but not eliminated) the incidence of catastrophic 
failures of critical components that endanger crews, vehicles, or both. 
Taking these changes into account, this document outlines the current 
situation regarding the design and production of high-performance structures 
for aerospace platforms, including launch vehicles, space vehicles, and 
propulsion systems for transporting space v…

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Materials for Advanced Aerospace Platforms 
LAUNCH VEHICLES 
For the purposes of this document, launch vehicles are defined as the structure that 
supports and/or encloses the propulsion system, the fuel supply, and the crew or 
payload module. Launch vehicles today are either single use or multiple use after 
recovery and extensive refurbishment. This approach adds considerably to the cost of 
transporting a pound of payload into earth orbit, regardless of whether an unmanned 
satellite or a manned orbiting crew module that must withstand the temperatur…

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The newer Al alloys also can be specially processed to render them superplastically 
formable. This capability opens a realm of possibilities to replace structures that, in the 
absence of this capability, are machined from thick plate. Very large structures are 
produced in sections that must be joined. Conventional fusion welding techniques do 
not work for high-strength Al alloys such as 7075, 7050, 2024, or 2050 because either 
the welds lead to cracks or the welds made under conditions that avoid cracking have 
greatly reduced tensile prope…

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construction to be considered too risky. Today, the combination of higher toughness 
alloys and FSW opens up the possibility of greater design flexibility resulting in lighter 
large structures with equal or greater reliability than earlier ones. 
In sum, metallic, nonreusable (at least nominally so) launch vehicles made from 
advanced Al alloys and fabricated through FSW constitute an incremental but significant 
improvement over earlier versions. 
In recent years, PMCs have matured significantly. For many components that are not 
exposed to elevated…