Rocket engine-based payload transporter
AssigneeBlue Origin Manufacturing, LLC
InventorsSteven W. Squyres, Stephen Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A propulsion-based payload transporter (PPT) and methods of its operation are provided. The PPT may operate in a gravitational field such as that on the lunar surface. Via rocket engines that produce thrust, the PPT is configured to descend onto and over a payload to be moved. Once in position with respect to the payload, latches engage with the payload so as to secure the payload in a payload holding bay of the PPT. The rocket engines produce thrust with an exhaust plume that is angled away from the payload to avoid payload damage. The rocket engines, which are located at the sides of the payload holding bay, produce thrust to propel the PPT and the payload in a substantially horizontal trajectory with respect to gravity and toward a landing destination.
Claims20
A propulsion-based payload transporter comprising:
- a spacecraft body;
- three or more landing legs extending from a surface of the spacecraft body in a perpendicular direction or offset from the perpendicular direction by a first acute angle;
- a payload holding bay partially enclosed by the spacecraft body and the three or more landing legs, wherein the payload holding bay has a central axis that is perpendicular to the surface of the spacecraft body;
- rocket engines configured to independently produce a respective thrust and exhaust plume in a direction that is angled away from the payload holding bay by a second acute angle with respect to the central axis, wherein lower portions of the three or more landing legs are interposed between the rocket engines and the payload holding bay to protect a payload in the payload holding bay from the exhaust plumes;
- and
- latches on the spacecraft body or on the three or more landing legs, wherein the latches are configured to engage or disengage with a payload that is in the payload holding bay.
A method of operating a propulsion-based payload transporter (PPT) having landing legs, the method comprising:
- controllably descending onto and over a payload to be moved;
- operating latches to engage with the payload so as to secure the payload in a payload holding bay of the PPT;
- selectively operating one or more rocket engines to produce thrust and an exhaust plume so as to ascend with the payload, wherein the one or more rocket engines are located at the sides of the payload holding bay, wherein the direction of the exhaust plume from each of the one or more rocket engines is at an acute angle away from the payload, and wherein landing legs of the PPT are positioned to shield the payload in the payload holding bay from the exhaust plumes during the ascending;
- and
- further selectively operating the one or more rocket engines to produce thrust so as to fly with the payload in a substantially horizontal trajectory with respect to gravity and toward a landing destination while maintaining shielding of the payload holding bay from the exhaust plumes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.