Advanced Space Plane Using Turbine Rocket Integration

Advanced Space Plane Using Turbine Rocket Integration | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Advanced Space Plane Using Turbine Rocket Integration Hamza Khan This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9384414/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Increasing pressure on fast, cheap and reusable access to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has spurred the creation of alternative launch architectures as alternatives to the conventional expendable and vertically launched rocket systems. In traditional launch vehicles, high costs of operation, long turnaround time, and infrastructure based ground support limit the frequency of flight and scalability. This paper provides a conceptual design and engineering discussion of a high tech hypersonic spaceplane with the integration of turbine based combined cycle (TBCC) and rocket based combined cycle (RBCC) propulsion. The suggested system supports horizontal takeoff runways, effective atmospheric acceleration, and switching to rocket propulsion to insert the orbit, a proposal that provides an opportunity to have a reusable and adaptable alternative to traditional launch systems. An analytical framework is created in MATLAB to compare the performance of propulsion, thermal loading, and flight characteristics of the spaceplane. The trends of thrust and specific impulse are examined in different Mach regimes, and the hypersonic heating is approximated based on simplified aerodynamic heating equations. Velocity altitude profiling is used to determine the performance of the flight in order to describe the flight ascending path. Also, a conceptual CAD model is created to depict the integrated vehicle arrangement and propulsion design. The metrics of the performance of comparisons such as the cost of launch, turnaround time, and frequency of flight are compared with those of traditional rockets to determine feasibility and benefits of operation. Findings reveal that the integration of turbine rockets makes it possible to achieve higher propulsion performance in the atmospheric regime, lower thermal stress due to controlled acceleration profiles, and much greater reusability capability. The paper presents a conceptual framework of system level analysis backed up with an analytical model showing the feasibility of the concept of combined cycle propulsion spaceplanes as a next generation approach to sustainable and responsive space access. Aeronautics and Astronautics Hypersonic spaceplane turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) combined-cycle propulsion reusable launch systems propulsion performance aerodynamic heating thermal analysis flight performance Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9384414","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":621265288,"identity":"ab6c140c-9d53-453f-bfd7-bc6796c2e8a4","order_by":0,"name":"Hamza Khan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAyElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAx4eIPmDTY6BgbEByGImUgtjD58xkGxsIF4LA5tcYgPEGiK0mPOcPfi5gMcsfbtEcvsDhgprkF78wLK3L1l6hkVa7s4ZiUCHnUknrMXgPI+BNA/PsdwNN4BaGNsOE6XF+DcP2/90A7CWf8RoOdtjJs3DxpYA0dJAjJYzZ8yseXvYDDecedg4I+FYujERWnKMb/P8YJM3OJ7+4MOHGmtZgloQQCCBgSGBeOUgwH+ANPWjYBSMglEwcgAAjwBA3zfsV0EAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"New York Institute Of Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hamza","middleName":"","lastName":"Khan","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-11 04:23:42","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9384414/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9384414/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":106961326,"identity":"caa4b9fb-eb5b-4e03-a307-853e4aa95d2d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-15 09:25:01","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":801386,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ResearchPaperAdvancedSpacePlaneUsingTurbineRocketIntegration.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9384414/v1_covered_7add5bf5-6fb2-4ab1-bea7-725e011ef72d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdvanced Space Plane Using Turbine Rocket Integration\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Hypersonic spaceplane, turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC), rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC), combined-cycle propulsion, reusable launch systems, propulsion performance, aerodynamic heating, thermal analysis, flight performance, Low Earth Orbit (LEO)","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9384414/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9384414/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIncreasing pressure on fast, cheap and reusable access to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has spurred the creation of alternative launch architectures as alternatives to the conventional expendable and vertically launched rocket systems. 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