Systems and methods for securing an upright rocket
AssigneeBlue Origin, LLC
InventorWeidong Song
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for securing an upright rocket. The rocket may be on a moveable platform, such as a landing area of a ship. The rocket may land on the deck, and the system may include cables that surround the landing area. The cables may be tightened about the rocket after the rocket has landed in an upright position. The system may include poles that telescope upward, such that the cables may tighten about the upright rocket at various heights along the body of the rocket.
Claims22
A system for securing an upright rocket, the system comprising:
- a platform configured to be located at sea, wherein a landing region of the platform is configured to support the rocket in an upright position after the rocket lands on the landing region;
- a plurality of poles attached to the platform and located around the landing region;
- and
- a plurality of cables, wherein, prior to the rocket landing, each cable of the plurality of cables is configured to enclose the landing region with each cable extending from a first pole of the plurality of poles to surround the landing region and to a second pole of the plurality of poles that is adjacent to the first pole, and wherein, with the upright rocket located on the landing region of the platform, the plurality of cables are configured to be retracted and to tighten about the upright rocket.
A system for securing an upright rocket, the system comprising:
- a platform configured to be located at sea, wherein a landing region of the platform is configured to support the rocket in an upright position after the rocket lands on the landing region;
- a plurality of poles attached to the platform and located around the landing region;
- a plurality of cables, wherein, prior to the rocket landing, the plurality of cables are configured to enclose the landing region with each cable extending from a first pole of the plurality of poles around the landing region and to a second pole of the plurality of poles that is adjacent to the first pole, and wherein, with the upright rocket located on the landing region of the platform, the plurality of cables are configured to be retracted and to tighten about the upright rocket;
- and
- one or more elastic support cords attached to one or more poles and to one or more of the cables, wherein the elastic support cords are configured to locate the cables about the landing region and to lengthen or stretch inwardly as the cables are retracted about the rocket.
A system for securing an upright rocket, the system comprising:
- a platform, wherein a region of the platform is configured to support the upright rocket;
- a plurality of poles located around the region;
- and
- a plurality of cables, wherein, prior to the upright rocket being located on the region, each cable extends from one of the plurality of poles to surround the region and to another of the plurality of poles, and wherein, after the rocket is located on the region, the plurality of cables are configured to be retracted and to tighten about the upright rocket.
A system for securing an upright rocket, the system comprising:
- a platform, wherein a landing region of the platform is configured to support the upright rocket;
- a plurality of poles located around the region;
- a plurality of cables, wherein, prior to the upright rocket being located on the landing region, each cable extends from one of the plurality of poles around the region to another of the plurality of poles, and wherein, after the rocket is located on the landing region, the plurality of cables are configured to be retracted and to tighten about the upright rocket;
- and
- one or more elastic support cords attached to one or more poles and to one or more of the cables, wherein the elastic support cords are configured to locate the cables about the landing region and to lengthen or stretch inwardly as the cables are retracted about the rocket.
A method of securing a rocket on a platform, the method comprising:
- positioning each cable of a plurality of cables to surround a landing region of the platform;
- landing the rocket on the landing region of the platform;
- and
- tightening the cables about a body of the rocket after the rocket has landed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.