Cost Engineering for Hypersonic and Space Launch Vehicle Design – Online Short Course 22 February 2027 - 31 March 2027 Online

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Cost Engineering for Hypersonic and Space Launch Vehicle Design – Online Short Course


  • From 22 February–31 March 2027 (6 Weeks, 12 Classes, 24 Total Hours)
  • Every Monday and Wednesday at 1–3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
  • Every design decision is a cost decision. In this essential new course, learn to estimate the cost of a hypersonic or launch vehicle before it’s built.
  • All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.

OVERVIEW

As hypersonic and space launch programs place greater emphasis on affordability, cost engineering and its integration into vehicle design and technology forecasting have become increasingly important.

This course introduces TransCost, a system-based cost model for aerospace flight vehicles and engines. Initiated in 1971, it has become an established industry cost standard, and it continues to be refined against actual project costs accumulated over more than 50 years. Its reference data is transparent and non-confidential, so participants can see how estimates are built and apply the methods to their own programs.

The methodology follows a vehicle through the development, production, and operation cost stages. It covers subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic aircraft as well as expendable and reusable space launch vehicles, with particular emphasis on hypersonic flight and launch systems. Participants learn to use parametric cost estimating relationships (CERs) to estimate development and production cost, operation cost, cost per flight, and life cycle cost, and to account for the uncertainty and risk that come with each. The approach meets the technical requirements of the conceptual, preliminary, and detail design phases, and it supports the practicing analyst, designer, technology forecaster, chief engineer, and project manager alike.

TransCost is also integrated into AVDS (Aerospace Vehicle Design Synthesis), a design and forecasting methodology and software suite developed over 25 years. Embedding cost estimation in the design process lets teams weigh future vehicle concepts for performance, risk, and cost from the earliest stages, when decisions have the greatest effect.

The course is built for today’s programs and tomorrow’s conceptual designs. Worked examples apply the methods to current questions: how reusable launch vehicles change transportation cost, how launch services are priced, what rocket engine options mean for development and production cost, and what commercial ventures such as space tourism and Earth-Moon transportation will cost to develop and fly. Participants will leave able to forecast the economics of a vehicle concept before committing to development.

As defensible space becomes a defining aerospace priority, the ability to forecast the best flight performance at minimum risk and minimum cost will only grow in importance.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Explain the principles, history, and challenges of aerospace cost engineering and its role in the multidisciplinary design and forecasting process.
  • Estimate development, production, and operation costs for vehicles and engines using parametric cost estimating relationships (CERs).
  • Apply the estimating methods at each stage of design, from conceptual through preliminary to detail.
  • Quantify the uncertainty and risk in a cost estimate and identify the factors that drive cost most.
  • Calculate cost per flight and life cycle cost to compare expendable and reusable launch concepts.
  • Forecast the economics of a future vehicle concept and present results that connect designers, cost analysts, and decision makers.

AUDIENCE
This course is designed for project engineers, analysts, researchers, scientists, and managers who design, develop, test, or market advanced air-breathing and rocket-propelled vehicles, from subsonic aircraft to hypersonic vehicles and expendable and reusable space launch vehicles.

COURSE FEES (Sign-In To Register)
– AIAA Member Price: $995 USD
– Non-Member Price: $495 USD
– AIAA Student Member Price: $1,195 USD

CLASSROOM HOURS / CEUs: 24 classroom hours / 2.4 CEU/PDH

CANCELLATION POLICY: A refund less a $50.00 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations made in writing prior to 5 days before the start of the event. After that time, no refunds will be provided.

CONTACT: Please contact Lisa Le if you have any questions about the course or group discounts (for 5+ participants).

Frequently Asked Questions

Outline

OUTLINE

1. Space Launch Vehicle Design and Cost Engineering
1.1 Space Launch Vehicle Concepts and Initial Design Criteria
1.2 STANDARD Aerospace Transportation Systems Forecasting Process
1.3 Aerospace Cost Engineering
1.4 TransCost Model

2. Development Cost of Vehicle System and Engines
2.1 Development Cost Criteria
2.2 TransCost Development Cost Sub-Model
2.3 Propulsion/Engine Development Cost Estimating Relationship (CER)
2.4 Vehicle System Development CER
2.5 Cost Impact of Development Program Preparation, Organization and Schedule
2.6 Strategy for Reduced Development Effort and Commercial Venture
2.7 Major Development Cost Impact Factor, Uncertainty and Risk
2.8 Verification of the TransCost NRC Sub-Model
2.9 Application of TransCost Development Cost Sub-Model for Future Project Study

3. Vehicle and Engine Production Cost
3.1 Production Cost Basics
3.2 ‘Learning Factor’ p/Production Quantity Impact
3.3 TransCost Production Cost Sub-Model
3.4 Engine Production CER (First Unit Cost)
3.5 Launch Vehicle System Production CER
3.6 Production Cost Impact, Uncertainty and Risk
3.7 Application of Production Cost Sub-Model

4. Ground and Flight Operation Cost
4.1 Scope and Definition
4.2 Direct Operation Cost (DOC)
4.3 Refurbishment and Spare Cost (RSC)
4.4 Indirect or Commercial Operation Cost (IOC)
4.5 Launch Site Infrastructure Cost (Support and Administration)
4.6 Operation Cost Uncertainty and Risk

5. Launch Services: Cost-per-Flight Definition, Pricing and Major Cost Impact Factors
5.1 Cost-per-Flight (CpF) Definition (‘Exploitation Cost’)
5.2 Major Impact Factor on Cost-per-Flight (CpF)
5.3 Launch Service Cost and Pricing
5.4 Cost of Unreliability/Insurance
5.5 Production and Development Cost Amortization Effect
5.6 Cost-per-Flight Calculation and Verification (Ariane 5-ECA)

6. Specific Transportation Cost, Life Cycle Cost and Lunar Mission Cost
6.1 Specific Space Transportation Cost (SpTC)
6.2 Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) of Launch System
6.3 Cost of Earth-Moon Transportation

7. Cost Engineering Application Examples
7.1 Impact of Rocket Engine Options on System Development and Production Cost
7.2 Potential GTO Transportation Cost Reduction by RLV
7.3 Optimization of Launch Vehicle Payload Capability for Large-Scale Cargo Transportation
7.4 Economic Comparison of Alternative Launch Vehicle Concept by Life Cycle Costing
7.5 Economic Optimization of Stage Separation Speed of HTOL Winged Launch System
7.6 CpF-Economic of an Aerospace Plane
7.7 Space Tourism Ticket Cost Assessment for Space Tourism Launch Vehicle

8. Conclusions
8.1 Contributions and Conclusion Summary
8.2 Recommendations for Future Work

Materials

COURSE DELIVERY AND MATERIALS

  • The course lectures will be delivered via Zoom. Access to the Zoom classroom will be provided to registrants near to the course start date.
  • All sessions will be available on-demand within 1-2 days of the lecture. Once available, you can stream the replay video anytime, 24/7.
  • All slides will be available for download after each lecture. No part of these materials may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted, unless for course participants. All rights reserved.
  • This course material refers to the well-known Handbook of Cost Engineering and Design – TransCost Model Descriptionby D.E. Koelle since 1970s, and the upcoming AIAA book in 2027 titled Handbook of Aerospace Cost Engineering – Hypersonic Flight & Space Transportation Systemsby D.E. Koelle and B. Chudoba.
  • Between lectures during the course, the instructor(s) will be available via email for technical questions and comments.
Instructor

Dr. Bernd Chudoba
Dr. Chudoba earned the PhD at Cranfield University, England, in 2001. From 1989 to today, Dr. Chudoba is systematically building an understanding of the multi-disciplinary complexity inherent in conventional & unconventional aerospace vehicle applications. The development of this aerospace synthesis mindset and capability has been triggered while working with the future project departments of EADS Airbus GmbH, Airbus UK (British Aerospace), Airbus France (Aérospatiale Aéronautique), Airbus Industrie, and Fairchild Dornier, where he was responsible for conceptual/preliminary multi-disciplinary design processes. Since 2002, he is the Director of the AVD Laboratory at The University of Texas at Arlington. Professor Chudoba focuses on the development of the cutting edge 21st Century Future Project Office aerospace vehicle design & strategic planning/forecasting capability and AVDS software, efforts supported by NASA, Boeing, AFRL, AFOSR and others.

 

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