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Aerospace Plane Technology: Research and Development Efforts in Japan and Australia, GAO/NSIAD-92-5 October 1991
United States General Accounting Office
National Security and International Affairs Division
United States General Accounting OfficeReport to the Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, House of Representatives B-235387 October 4, 1991 The Honorable George E. Brown, Jr.
Chairman, Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology
House of Representatives Dear Mr. Chairman: As requested by the former Chairman, we reviewed investment in foreign aerospace vehicle research and technological development efforts. Supporters of the National Aero-Space Plane Program in the Congress are concerned about foreign competition to the program and its impact on U.S. technological leadership. We briefed representatives of the former Subcommittee on Transportation, Aviation, and Materials (now part of the Subcommittee on Technology and Competitiveness), House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, previously on the results of our review. This report discusses investment in Japanese and Australian aerospace vehicle research and technological development efforts. This report is the third in a planned series of reports on aerospace investment in foreign countries. We issued our first report, Aerospace Technology: Technical Data and Information on Foreign Test Facilities (GAO/NSIAD-90-71FS), on June 22, 1990. We issued our second report, Aerospace Plane Technology: Research and Development Efforts in Europe (GAO/NSIAD-91-194), on July 25, 1991. A subsequent report will address aerospace investment in the Soviet Union. We are sending copies of this report to the Secretaries of Defense, State, Commerce, the Air Force, and the Navy; the Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the Directors, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Management and Budget, and Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President. We are also sending copies of this report to other interested parties and will make copies available to others. Please contact me at (202) 275-4268 if you or your staff have any questions concerning this report. Major contributors to this report are listed in appendix I. Sincerely yours, Nancy R. Kingsbury
Director
Air Force Issues
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 2
Executive Summary
Purpose
U.S. leadership and preeminence in the research and development of aerospace plane technologies are being challenged by Japan and other countries. U.S. leadership and preeminence are based on the National Aero-Space Plane Program. As discussed in our prior report on European aerospace plane technology, congressional supporters of the program are concerned about foreign competition and its impact on U.S. technological leadership. The former Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology asked GAO to identify indicators to measure foreign countries' current state of aerospace plane technological development and progress. The indicators were selected based on the interests of Committee representatives and on discussions with experts. These indicators are (1) space policies and aerospace goals and activities; (2) aerospace plane program objectives, design goals, schedules, and costs; (3) the current status and rate of progress in the development of critical technologies; (4) the funding for and the number and type of people involved with the programs; (5) test facilities and their capabilities; and (6) the existence of and interest in international cooperation. The former Chairman also asked GAO to collect data and information on the indicators.Background
The National Aero-Space Plane Program, expected to cost more than $5 billion between fiscal years 1986 and 1997, is a joint Department of Defense/National Aeronautics and Space Administration technology development and demonstration program to build and test the X-30 experimental plane. The program is to develop critical technologies for future hypersonic aerospace planes, which could achieve speeds up to 25 times the speed of sound in air. The program also plans to build and test the X-30 to validate the critical technologies. These technologies include an air-breathing engine that requires air for combustion of its fuel; materials that are high-strength, lightweight, able to withstand high temperatures, and fully reusable; a fully integrated engine and air frame; and advanced computer programs to simulate the effects of the airflow around flight vehicles by solving a set of mathematical equations with a high-speed computer. The program's goal is to demonstrate single-stage-to- orbit space launch capability with horizontal takeoff and landing. This report focuses on efforts in Japan, since it is developing technologies and conducting feasibility studies for various concepts of operational aerospace planes. Also, efforts in Australia are included becauseGAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 3 it supports technology development efforts through national research and the use of its test facilities.
Results in Brief
Japan is conducting feasibility studies and developing critical technologies needed for various concepts of operational aerospace planes primarily to achieve autonomy. However, Japan has not officially approved any plan to build an aerospace plane. The United States also has not approved a plan to build an aerospace plane. The United States is ahead of Japan in hypersonic aerospace plane technologies because of its more technologically challenging National Aero Space Plane Program. However, Japan is making a determined effort to challenge U.S. superiority in hypersonics, particularly in engines and materials. Current and planned levels of investment in air-breathing aerospace plane research and technological development efforts by the Japanese government and industry are, significantly less than current and planned U.S. government and industry investment in the National Aero-Space Plane Program. Japanese test facilities are adequate for fundamental research and current efforts in Japan. However, they are not adequate for large-scale testing or developing an aerospace plane. Although Australian test facilities also are not adequate for large-scale testing, they provide a unique capability to test aerospace vehicles up to orbital velocity. Individually, Japan does not pose a serious challenge to U.S preeminence in hypersonic aerospace plane technologies. Japan is unlikely to develop and build an aerospace plane by itself because of the extensive technology and funding requirements. However, a major international collaborative effort between Japan and the European Space Agency, or with European countries, and/or the Soviet Union could be competitive with the National Aero-Space Plane Program.GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 4
Principal Findings
Japanese Aerospace Plane Programs Are Primarily Concept Studies
Japan is developing the technologies required for various concepts of an aerospace plane to secure independent manned access to space, reduce the cost of launching payloads into orbit, and ensure a competitive role in future high-speed commercial transport aircraft markets. Principal concepts include the National Space Development Agency of Japan's H-II Orbiting Plane, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science's Highly Maneuverable Experimental Space vehicle, and the National Aerospace Laboratory's single-stage-to-orbit aerospace plane. Each concept is being designed to be launched vertically or take off horizontally from a runway, reach hypersonic speeds, attain orbit, and return to land on a runway.The United States Is Ahead of Japan in Hypersonic Technology
The United States is ahead of Japan in the development of three critical technologies: air-breathing engines, materials, and advanced computer programs using high-speed computers for design and testing. Moreover, the United States is the only country that has tested major large-scale components of an air-breathing aerospace plane.U.S. Investment Is Significantly Greater Than Japanese Investment in Aerospace Plane Programs
U.S. government and industry have invested almost $ 1.8 billion in the National Aero-Space Plane Program between fiscal years 1986 and 1990. Japan has only invested a total of about $150.4 million between 1982 and 1990 in various air-breathing aerospace plane concept studies. The U.S. government plans to spend about $864 million on the National Aero-Space Plane Program from fiscal years 1991 to 1993 and a considerably larger amount in subsequent years if a decision is made to build and flight test the X-30. Future U.S. industry contributions are expected to be marginal. The Japanese government and industry plan to spend up to about $751.2 million between 1990 and 1998 on various air-breathing aerospace plane programs.Japanese Test Facilities Are Inadequate for Developing and Testing Aerospace Planes
Although the United States is ahead in terms of facility size, productivity, and testing techniques, Japan's rate of progress in refurbishing and modifying old facilities and building new ones is significantly greater than that of the United States. However, only with the development of better test facility instruments and more trained personnel, together with the renovation and modification of older facilities andGAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 5 construction of new facilities, will adequate support be available in Japan for testing aerospace planes.
International Hypersonic Collaborative Effort Could Be Competitive With the United States
The Japanese government, with the support of industry, is developing vehicle concepts and the technology for a broad range of applications on a national basis before seeking international partners. Development of an experimental plane would probably be an international effort, since Japan does not intend and is not presently capable of developing and building an aerospace plane alone because of the extensive technological requirements, tremendous costs, and lack of adequate test facilities. Any future operational aerospace plane built in Japan would also be an international effort. However, the combined convergence of national interests, expertise, approaches, funding, and sharing of test facilities involving Japan and the European Space Agency, European countries, and/or the Soviet Union in a major international collaborative effort in hypersonics could, in the long term, prove to be competitive with the National Aero-Space Plane Program. Although collaborative efforts with the United States on the National Aero-Space Plane Program appear unlikely, the program could benefit from Japanese engine and materials technologies and the use of Australian test facilities.Recommendations
GAO is not making recommendations in this report.Agency Comments
GAO did not obtain official agency comments on this report. However, GAO provided a draft of this report to Department of Defense and National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials and incorporated their comments where appropriate.GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 6
Contents Executive Summary 2 Chapter 1 10 Introduction U.S. Aeronautical Preeminence in Hypersonics 10 Principal Japanese Aerospace Vehicle Concepts or 11 Systems Indicators of Aerospace Vehicle Technological 12 Development and Progress Enabling Technologies 13 Organizational Roles and Responsibilities 13 Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 20 Chapter 2 25 Japanese Space Policies and Aerospace Goals and Objectives Space Policies and Aerospace Goals and Objectives for 25 Developing Air-Breathing Aerospace Vehicles Chapter 3 31 Japanese Aerospace Vehicle Programs National Space Development Agency of Japan's HOPE 31 Spaceplane and H-II Launch Vehicle Institute of Space and Astronautical Science's Highly 41 Maneuverable Experimental Space Vehicle National Aerospace Laboratory's Single-Stage-to-Orbit 50 Aerospace Plane Concept Chapter 4 58 Development of Enabling Technologies United States Is Advancing Hypersonic Technology the 59 Furthest High-Speed Air-Breathing Propulsion 63 Advanced Materials 78 Computational Fluid Dynamics and Supercomputers 84 Technological Challenges 88
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 7 Chapter 5 89 U.S. and Japanese in Investment Aerospace Vehicle Research and Technological Development Efforts U.S. Investment in the NASP Program 89 Japanese Government, Industry, and University 90 Investment Chapter 6 99 Japanese Aerospace Test Facilities and Their Capabilities Wind Tunnels and Air-Breathing Propulsion Test Cells 99 Advanced Materials Research, Development, Production, 102 and Fabrication Laboratories Supercomputer Facilities 103 Japanese Facilities Needed for Testing Future Aerospace 104 Vehicles Chapter 7 106 International Cooperation U.S./Japanese Cooperation 106 Japanese Cooperation With Europe and the Soviet Union 110 International Collaboration Among Foreign Aerospace 111 Plane Programs Chapter 8 113 Aerospace Vehicle Research and Technological Development Efforts in Australia Organizational Roles and Responsibilities 113 Australian Space Policy and Aerospace Goals and 114 Objectives Australian Participation in Foreign 115 Aerospace Vehicle Programs Australian Investment in Aerospace Vehicle Research and 115 Technological Development Efforts Australian Test Facilities and Their Capabilities 116 Cape York International Spaceport 123 International Cooperation 127 Chapter 9 129 Conclusions
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 8 Appendix Appendix I: Major Contributors to This Report 134 Glossary 135 Related GAO Products 152 Figures Figure 2.1: Japanese Space Activities in the 21st Century 27 Figure 2.2: Future Japanese Spaceport Design Concept 30 Figure 3.1: National Space Development Agency of 33 Japan's HOPE Spaceplane and H-II Launch Vehicle Figure 3.2: Iwate Prefecture Spaceport Design Concept 36 Figure 3.3: Hokkaido Space Center Design Concept 37 Figure 3.4: Taisei Corporation's Linear Motor Catapult 40 Spaceplane Launch System Figure 3.5: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science's 42 HIMES Vehicle Figure 3.6: Artist's Concept of Linear-Motor-Assisted 44 Horizontal Takeoff of HIMES Figure 3.7: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science's 45 High-Pressure Expander-Cycle Engine Figure 3.8: Expander-Cycle Air-Turboramjet Proto-Model 47 Test at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science's Noshiro Testing Center Figure 3.9: Flight Test of a Subscale Model of HIMES 48 Figure 3.10: Vertical Assembly of Subscale Model of 49 HIMES and Booster Used in Atmospheric Reentry Test Figure 3.11: Japanese Industry Hypersonic Experimental 51 Aircraft Configurations Figure 3.12: Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Single-Stage-to- 53 Orbit Aerospace Plane Concept Figure 3.13: National Aerospace Laboratory's Single- 56 Stage-to-Orbit Aerospace Plane Concept Figure 3.14: National Aerospace Laboratory's Two-Stage- 57 to-Orbit Aerospace Plane Concept Figure 4.1: Scramjet Test in the National Aerospace 74 Laboratory's Ram/Scramjet Combustor Test Facility Figure 4.2: Computational Fluid Dynamics 86 Supercomputer Simulation of Shock Waves and Surface Pressure Distributions
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 9 Figure 6.1: National Aerospace Laboratory's 50 100 Centimeter Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Figure 8.1: The Australian National University T-3 Shock 118 Tunnel Figure 8.2: Reentry Test on a Model of HOTOL in The 119 Australian National University T-3 Shock Tunnel Figure 8.3: University of Queensland T-4 Shock Tunnel 120 Figure 8.4: Cape York International Spaceport 125
Abbreviations
GAO General Accounting Office HIMES Highly Maneuverable Experimental Space [vehicle] HOPE H-II Orbiting Plane HOTOL Horizontal Takeoff and Landing NASP National Aero-Space Plane scramjet supersonic combustion ramjet
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