Aerodynamic Interference Reduction Using Aerospike for Two-Stage Reusable Launch Vehicle

The effects of a spike on the aerodynamic interference reduction for a multibody configuration were investigated numerically. A two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) vehicle was selected as a classic multibody configuration. A spike was placed on the nose of the orbiter to change the position and shape of the shock wave. The peak pressure and peak heat flux on the booster upper surface were reduced by 39.5% and 21.5%, respectively, after the spike was installed. The peak pressure and peak heat flux on the orbiter nose were reduced by 78.2% and 28.4%, respectively. The total drag coefficient of the whole model was reduced by 27.3%. The results show that a spike is able to reduce the shock-shock interference and the shock wave-boundary layer interference (SWBLI) between two stages without changing the aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft.