Commercial and Civil In-Space Applications of the Peacekeeper Stage IV (RS-34)

The Peacekeeper Stage IV propulsion and structure hardware will enable low-risk, cost effective in-space stages to provide the basic spacecraft bus propulsion and structure capability to support rapid hardware development schedules for commercial and civil in-space applications. The Peacekeeper was a four-stage vehicle consisting of three solid rocket motors and the liquid-fueled Stage IV. The fourth stage utilized the Stage IV propulsion, guidance and control systems to deploy vehicles in sequence with very precise state vectors and attitudes. Stage IV used Nitrogentetroxide and Monomethylhydrazine storable hypergolic propellants. The system is a simple, reliable, regulated pressure-fed system, with a high pressure helium tank, two propellant tanks with integrated propellant management devices, one axial thruster for orbit transfer maneuvers, and eight vernier thrusters for precise attitude control of the stage for inorbit operations. The propellant tanks were developed with surface tension propellant management devices to enable infinite operational and maneuvering flexibility. A total of 141 Stage IV propulsion systems were integrated, tested and delivered by Aerojet Rocketdyne to support development, qualification, fielding and sustainment operations. The Peacekeeper missile system was decommissioned and the program closed-out in 2006. The remaining stages were separated from their missiles and placed in controlled storage at Hill Air Force Base. About twenty-five stages are currently available. Aerojet Rocketdyne was the prime contractor responsible for development, production, and support of the Peacekeeper Stage IV. The Peacekeeper Stage IV is also referred to as the RS-34. Aerojet Rocketdyne recently successfully concluded support of the Ares 1-X flight test program where two Peacekeeper Stage IV propulsion systems were reconfigured into the Roll Control System (RoCS) modules for the successful Ares 1-X flight test vehicle for NASA MSFC. This successful program demonstrates the feasibility of reconfiguring Stage IV propulsion systems for civil space applications. This paper presents study results showing the capabilities of the Peacekeeper Stage IV for the orbital debris removal, resupply to the ISS, and general space bus applications.