Ideas Powering Freedom
Eduardo Casillas
Manager, Mission Architecture Engineering
Rocket Propulsion
Chabot College E10 Guest Lecture
Eduardo Casillas Biographical Information
A GenCorp Company
 Education
 Community College: San Jose City, Evergreen Valley
 B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering - San Jose State University, 1979
 Graduate Studies in Mechanical Engineering, San Jose State University,1980-1985
 Various Professional Courses (AIAA, Launchspace, etc)
 Work Experience
 25+ Years of Experience in Lead, Support, or Managing Capacity of Systems Analysis and Preliminary
Propulsion Design and Trade Studies (CSD and Aerojet)
 Large Launch Vehicles (Shuttle, Titan IVA-IVB, ASRM, Delta II-III, Atlas II-III)
 Orbital Vehicles (Inertial Upper Stage, Various Apogee and Perigee Motors)
 Small Launch Vehicles (Athena, Pegasus, Multiple Ground / Air Launched Small Launch Vehicle)
 Strategic Missiles (Minuteman III, SICBM, Trident II, LBSD, SLIRBM)
 Missile Defense (THAAD, SM3 Boost / DACS, GMD, CorpSAM)
 Miscellaneous (Scramjet Booster, Tomahawk Underwater Booster, Hybrid Boosters, Launch Abort)
 Significant Achievements
 Numerous Letters of Recognition
 Two Patent Awards (Dual Action Solid Hybrid Rocket, 1.5 Stage Symbiotic Hybrid Vehicle)
 Key Technical Member of Numerous Successful Proposals
 How I Became Interested in Propulsion
 Local Rocket Company (CSD, San Jose, Ca) Specialized in Solid Rocket and Ramjet Propulsion
 Design / Development Trials & Tribulations Bow Down When Your Motor Flies
 Exploring the Universe and Defense of Freedom are Among the Noblest of Professional Endeavors
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Agenda
A GenCorp Company
 Rocket Propulsion
 Emphasis on Solid Propulsion
 Aerojet Company Overview
 Videos
 Aerojet 70th Anniversary Video
 Mars EDL 7 Minutes of Terror Video
 Summary
 Questions?
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Agenda
A GenCorp Company
 Rocket Propulsion
 Emphasis on Solid Propulsion
 Aerojet Company Overview
 Videos
 Aerojet 70th Anniversary Video
 Mars EDL 7 Minutes of Terror Video
 Summary
 Questions?
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Rocket Propulsion
A GenCorp Company
Accelerate medium to create thrust
(mostly gas medium)
Type
Propellants
Solid
Combined solid mix of fuel and oxidizer
Liquid
Bipropellant
Separate liquid fuel and oxidizer
Liquid
Monopropellant
Decomposable fuel
Hybrid
Separate solid fuel and liquid oxidizer
(other combinations possible)
Gas Blow-down
High pressure gas
Supersonic
Solid or liquid fuel and air
Hypersonic
Liquid fuel and air
Electric
Inert ionized gas
Nuclear Thermal
Liquid fuel
Figures provided courtesy of the following web sites:
http://history.nasa.gov/conghand/propulsn.htm
http://www.ricknewlands.webspace.virginmedia.com/
pages/engines/what-is-a-hybrid.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/ramjet
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Solid Rocket Propulsion
A GenCorp Company
Wide ranging applications require SRMs with many shapes & functions
SRM Type
Mission
Examples
Characteristics
Rocket
Munitions
Propel small warheads and
/ or penetrators to a few
miles’ range
Hellfire, Javelin, Stinger,
EFOGM, TOW
Weight < 100-lb, 3-7 in diameter, robust /
rugged, produced in the hundreds of
thousands
Tactical
Rockets
Propel large warheads from
tens to hundreds of miles
MLRS, ATACMS, Hawk,
Mk-111, Mk-104, Mk-72,
AMRAAM, Sidewinder,
Weight ~ 100-2000-lb, 5-24-in diameter,
robust / rugged, produced in the tens of
thousands
Missile
Defense
Boost kill vehicles from
local to continental
defense coverage
PAC-3, THAAD, SM-3, GMD
Weight ~ 500-30000-lb, 10-50-in diameter,
composite case / TVC, produced from a few
thousand to a “handful”
Kill vehicle terminal
guidance propulsion
PAC-3 ACM, SM-3 DACS
[THAAD DACS and GMD
EKV- are liquid propulsion]
Weight ~ 30-150-lb, 10-24-in diameter,
thrust-managed, responsive, produced from
a few thousand to a “handful”
Boost ballistic re-entry
vehicles to intermediate intercontinental range
Trident, Poseidon, MM-III,
Peacekeeper, Pershing
Weight ~ 5-100-klb, 40-92-in diameter,
composite case / TVC, produced in the
hundreds, fire-ready for decades
Re-entry vehicle range
extension and precise
maneuvering
Trident, Poseidon SGG [MMIII, Peacekeeper are liquid,
Pershing is aero-controlled)
Weight < 1000-lb, SGGs feed exhaust gas
into manifold / valve system for steering,
produced in the hundreds
Space
Boosters
Boosters / upper stages
that part of a space launch
vehicle launch satellites /
spacecraft
Ariane-V, Atlas-V, Shuttle,
Titan-IV, Delta, Taurus,
Pegasus, H-IIA, Vega
Weight ~ 2-1100-klb, 38-146-in diameter,
metal, composite, segmented cases / TVC /
thrust shaping, produced from a few to
dozens per year
Space
Motors
Orbital transfer,
Interplanetary travel
propulsion
IUS SRM-1 and SRM-2,
STAR Motor Series
Weight ~ 1-20-klb, 27-92-in diameter,
titanium, composite cases / TVC, spin /
space environments, produced 1-2 per year
Auxiliary
Systems
Crew escape, stage
separation, attitude and roll
control, spin impulse,
shroud removal, TVC-GGs
GMC ACS / staging motors,
Apollo LES, ICBM shroud
removal / roll control / TVC
gas generator / RV spin
Wide variation in design configuration,
sizing, and technologies, produced in unit
numbers depending on vehicle application
Planet
Exploration
Assist in extra-terrestrial
retro, landing, and launch
functions
MER retro rockets / air bag
gas generators / horizontal
velocity adjusting rockets
Weight ~ 5-35-lb, 3-12-in diameter, titanium
cases / space environments, produced 1-2
sets per mission (every 5-10 years)
Strategic
Missiles
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Solid Rocket Propulsion – Design Flow

A GenCorp Company
Interactions between components must be accounted for in the design process – usually
by iteration until the design converges
 Grain design affects the internal insulation (flame exposure) and motor case (pressure)
 Nozzle design affects the case (aft opening dia), propellant grain (submergence), and thrust
vector actuation system (gimbaled configuration)
 Attach structures affect the case (skirts, thrust structure) and nozzle (blast tubes, hot-fly out)
 Second-level interactions (ordnance & avionics mounting, etc)
Customer
Specification
Requirements
and SOW
Program Start
Functional
Configuration
Audit (Customer
Acceptance)
Detailed Analyses
Preliminary
Ballistics
Analysis
Preliminary
Mechanical
Design Layout
Development &
Qualification
Testing
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
Structures
Mech. Design
Ballistics
Thermal
Design Reviews
Drawing
Generation
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Typical Solid Rocket Design Team
A GenCorp Company
 Chief Engineer
 Project Engineers
 Systems Engineers
 Ballistic Design Engineers
 Design Engineers
 Propellant Chemists
 Analysts - CFD, Stress, Thermal, Dynamics
 Controls Engineers
 Electronic Avionics Engineers
 Materials & Processes Engineers
 Configuration Management
 Manufacturing Engineers
 Test and Instrumentation Engineers
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Agenda
A GenCorp Company
 Rocket Propulsion
 Emphasis on Solid Propulsion
 Aerojet Company Overview
 Videos
 Aerojet 70th Anniversary Video
 Mars EDL 7 Minutes of Terror Video
 Summary
 Questions?
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Overview
 Over 3,000 employees across
13 states
 2011 Revenues of $918M
 Key Capabilities Enabling
 Space and Launch
Systems
 Tactical Systems
 Missile Defense Systems
 Advanced Programs
 Significant Real Estate
Holdings
A GenCorp Company
Ascent Main Engine
PAC-3
Space & Launch
Systems
Tactical Systems
THAAD Static Test
Missile Defense and
Strategic Systems
Advanced Programs
Real Estate
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Broad Portfolio of Programs
Across Diverse Mission Areas
Tactical
Systems
Standard Missile
A GenCorp Company
Space and Launch Systems
AOT Specialty Metals
Kinetic Energy
Penetrators
Tactical Tomahawk
GMLRS
Orion
PAC-3
Warhead Liners
M829A3Cartridge, 120mm,
APFSDS-T
AJ26
Atlas
Space Thruster
Fragmentation Devices
Missile Defense and
Strategic Systems
F-22
SM3 TDACS
Advanced
Programs
HAWK
THAAD
EKV
Minuteman
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Over 3,000 Employees Across
13 States Redmond, WA
A GenCorp Company
Moscow
Precision Liquid
Engines
350 Employees
Tokyo
London
Headquarters
Sacramento, CA
Picatinny
Arsenal, NJ
High Value Propulsion
1,650 Employees
Hill AFB,
UT
Jonesborough, TN
Denver, CO
Unique Specialty Materials
110 Employees
Northern Virginia
Operations
Tactical & Technology
325 Employees
Edwards AFB, CA
Woodland Hills, CA
Tucson, AZ
Washington, D.C.
Gainesville, VA
Socorro, NM
Orange, VA
Huntsville, AL
Vernon, CA
Dallas, TX
Operating Locations
Field Offices
Eglin AFB, FL
Camden, AR
Orlando, FL
Tactical Low Cost
High Volume Production
550 Employees
Engineering Center
Product-Focused Manufacturing Centers and CustomerFocused Support
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Broad Spectrum of New Opportunities
A GenCorp Company
JAGM
Hydrocarbon
Boost
PAC-3 MSE
Shielding
Tactical
Propulsion for
today’s war
fighter
Warhead Liners
HyFly
Advanced
Materials
Aeronautical
Components
SM3 TDACS
Commercial ESpace
Taurus II / Bigelow
Standard Missile
Standard Missile Phased
Adaptive Approach Axial
and Divert Launch
Standard Missile
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Agenda
A GenCorp Company
 Rocket Propulsion
 Emphasis on Solid Propulsion
 Aerojet Company Overview
 Videos
 Aerojet 70th Anniversary Video
 Mars EDL 7 Minutes of Terror Video
 Summary
 Questions?
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Example – Mars Science Laboratory
A GenCorp Company
 NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
 Aerojet engines assisted with entry, descent,
and landing. Aerojet thrusters also provided
attitude control and trajectory correction
maneuvers during the MSL’s transit to Mars.
 MSL carried eight Aerojet MR-111C 1.0 lbf thrusters, eight Aerojet MR107U 68 lbf thrusters, and eight Aerojet MR-80B 800 lbf thrusters with
a throttleable thrust range of > 100:1.
 68 lbf and 800 lbf thrusters supported the actual landing.
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
15
Agenda
A GenCorp Company
 Rocket Propulsion
 Emphasis on Solid Propulsion
 Aerojet Company Overview
 Videos
 Aerojet 70th Anniversary Video
 Mars EDL 7 Minutes of Terror Video
 Summary
 Questions?
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Rocket Propulsion - Summary
A GenCorp Company
 Rocket propulsion is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding
engineering field
 Tough challenges for high energy propellants, high temperature /
lightweight materials, fast acting / high precision control actuation,
and systems integration
 All challenges and tribulations bow-down when your rocket is
developed to perform successfully and reliably
 Rocket propulsion enables some of our most noble endeavors
 Study of our planet – protect our island
 Space exploration – expand human presence to other islands
 Defense of human freedom – protect our way of life now and for
future generations
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
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Agenda
A GenCorp Company
 Rocket Propulsion
 Emphasis on Solid Propulsion
 Aerojet Company Overview
 Videos
 Aerojet 70th Anniversary Video
 Mars EDL 7 Minutes of Terror Video
 Summary
 Questions?
Eduardo Casillas RocketPropulsion ChabotCollege E10 110812.pptx
18