A Study of Cross-Domain Process Adaptation Applied to Reusable Launch Vehicle Re-Qualification

The past decade has shown dramatic advancements in the development, flight, and recovery of reusable rocket boosters for space launch. Known as Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs), these rockets land autonomously after separating from the payload and, after inspection, can be re-used for subsequent launches. The United States Air Force, holding a significant stake in the space domain, has taken interest in RLVs and their advantages over expendable rockets, including the ability to increase launch frequency while reducing cost. However, in order for the Air Force to capitalize on these advances, several challenges must be overcome. This paper explores similarities in the evolution of Air Force airworthiness practices and space launch mission assurance, which provide for the ability to Ieverage the Air Force's existing airworthiness assessment process and provide recommendations toward the development of a risk-mitigated, threshold-driven approach for assessing RLV re-qualification.