7. A concept of the dynamic positioning of a maritime space flight platform at the launch vehicle liftoff location

Annotation: The 21st century space launch services market is rapidly evolving. The number of government and private organizations seeking to design space launch vehicles and off er them to anyone wishing to launch payloads into space is constantly growing. When developing space launch systems, attention is increasingly being paid to the feasibility of launching rockets from off shore locations worldwide to save money and accelerate development eff orts. This requires specialized launch platforms. One of the most critical challenges is to ensure that such a platform remains precisely positioned in the launch zone until liftoff . Positioning systems can help achieve this. They can use anchors, if the vessel’s design requires so or if the sea depth permits; alternatively, they can employ propulsion systems and specialized control mechanisms for dynamic positioning. The article briefl y examines a concept of a dynamic positioning system for a maritime launch platform. The crucial aspect is to determine the appropriate number of propulsion system components and calculate their thrust characteristics to ensure that the launch platform will remain in place until the space rocket lifts off . This requires a considerable number of calculations and, therefore, a set of initial data, including the launch platform’s characteristics, the parameters of the sea, and atmospheric conditions in the launch zone. Additionally, the maximum allowable values for the vessel’s drift parameters need to be determined. The maritime launch platform for the computations was designed using modern 3D simulation software. The launch platform’s behavior at sea and the dynamic positioning system’s performance were simulated using the advanced ANSYS fi nite element analysis software. The article presents the structural diagram of a dynamic positioning system for a launch platform, along with the computation results for the dynamic positioning system’s performance at various potential combinations of sea currents, wind, and waves. The specifi city of how these factors aff ect the launch platform is outlined. The authors conclude regarding the eff ectiveness of the proposed dynamic positioning system and express their opinion that the results of this work can be applicable in practical implementation, e.g., when designing a launch platform. Additionally, the requirements for the dynamic positioning system can be defi ned in advance.