# ASTERION FCTA-1 Final Engineering Report — Version 1.0

## Executive summary

ASTERION FCTA-1 is a CAD/CAM/CAE portfolio project for a modular, orbit-assembled deep-space spacecraft and detachable lifting-body aeroshuttle. The goal is to demonstrate Siemens NX design capability, ANSYS structural/thermal/CFD analysis planning, NX CAM process planning and open-source engineering documentation.

The design intentionally avoids unsupported claims of unrestricted, reactionless, faster-than-light or certification-ready travel. Instead, it presents a constraint-reduced architecture: a spacecraft assembled in orbit, propelled by modular electric-propulsion pods, supported by visible thermal-control hardware, and documented through traceable verification records.

## System architecture

The vehicle uses a central octagonal spine carrying docking, propulsion, power, thermal and service loads. Two counter-rotating habitation rings provide a conceptual partial-gravity environment. Six aft propulsion pods, four solar wings, six radiators, service modules and a detachable Skimmer aeroshuttle create a multidisciplinary aerospace/aeronautics showcase.

## CAD development summary

Version 0.2 established the master skeleton and coordinate system. Version 0.3 developed the primary structure. Version 0.4 integrated the full subsystem assembly. Version 0.8 introduced structural redesign geometry after Version 0.5 screening identified excessive emergency-braking and misaligned-docking flexibility.

## Structural analysis summary

The Version 0.5 independent frame screening identified two important design actions:
- Emergency ring braking was too flexible.
- Misaligned docking caused excessive forward translation.

Version 0.8 addressed these by adding ring torque braces, forward docking load spreaders and longitudinal propulsion struts. The redesign increased idealised structural mass from 7,742 kg to 10,423 kg but reduced propulsion-load displacement by 98.4%, reduced misaligned-docking displacement by 56.7% and increased the first supported flexible frequency by 50.2%.

## Thermal and CFD summary

Version 0.6 provided reduced-order thermal and CFD screening. The radiator system met the provisional nominal heat-rejection target, but one-panel-loss operation requires caution. Cabin CO2 screening showed that fan-loss cases quickly become operationally important, so emergency ventilation and independent CO2 scrubbing are required. The Skimmer analysis package defined Mach 0.3, Mach 0.8 and simplified Mach 2 studies for home-PC-scale Fluent work.

## Manufacturing and CAM summary

Version 0.7 translated the spacecraft concept into a realistic manufacturing portfolio with four representative parts: a thruster-gimbal bracket, ring-bearing housing, Skimmer wing rib and lightweight bulkhead. Each demonstrator includes neutral geometry, setup documentation, operation planning, fixture concepts, inspection characteristics and simulation-only educational G-code.

## Verification status

The v0.9 requirements matrix closes the documentation baseline and identifies the evidence that must be produced on the user's PC for native-software closure. The project is portfolio-ready but not certification-ready.

## Key limitations

- No native Siemens NX `.prt` file is claimed as completed in this environment.
- No solved ANSYS database is claimed as completed.
- Reduced-order calculations are used for screening only.
- The Skimmer is a conceptual lifting-body demonstrator, not a validated re-entry vehicle.
- The main spacecraft is not a launch vehicle and does not land as a whole unit.

## Public-release closure

Version 1.0 should be built on the user's home PC by adding native NX screenshots, ANSYS solver logs, mesh convergence images, CAM simulation screenshots, physical prototype photographs and filled result-import templates.


## Version 1.0 public-release closure

Version 1.0 consolidates the project into a GitHub-ready open-source baseline. It adds a formal artefact-status ledger, claim boundaries, GitHub community files, Pages deployment, release validation, checksums, repository metadata and explicit owner-execution requirements.

The public release is complete as a neutral-data portfolio. The next meaningful work is not another conceptual version number; it is the addition of native Siemens NX, ANSYS and physical-test evidence generated by Samuelson G on the project workstation.