Boeing Develops All-Composite Cryogenic Propellant Tank for NASA’s SLS Rocket

A new type of large, fully-composite, linerless cryogen tank, designed and manufactured by Boeing, completed a critical series of tests at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center at the end of 2021. The reusable tank shell was originally constructed as flight hardware for DARPA’s Experimental Spaceplane Program (XSP). The successful test campaign advances the new technology towards being mature, safe and ready for use in aerospace vehicles. The 4.3-meter (14 foot) diameter composite tank is similar in size to the propellant tanks intended for use in the upper stage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which is the foundational capability in NASA’s Artemis lunar and deep space human exploration program. If the new composite technology were implemented in evolved versions of the SLS’s Exploration Upper Stage, the weight savings technology could increase payload masses by up to 30%. This tank leveraged and built upon composite cryotank technology developed and proven out through NASA’s composite cryotank technology development (CCTD) program and other efforts. “Composites are the next major technological advancement for large aerospace cryogenic storage structures,” said Boeing Composite Cryotank Manufacturing Lead Carlos Guzman. “And while they can be challenging to work with, they offer significant advantages over traditional metallic structures. Boeing has the right mix of experience, expertise and resources to continue to advance this technology and bring it to market in a variety of applications across aerospace and aeronautics.” For identifying growth opportunities for Composites in Global Aerospace Market, please visit https://www.lucintel.com/composites-in-aerospace-market.aspx