US 12,656,093 B2Granted

Rocket stage, a rocket and a gliding part

OwnerRaimo Hirvineninventor

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Abstract

A rocket stage having a frame is disclosed. The frame includes a nose part and a mid-section part. The frame is configured to separate into two or more gliding parts after the stage has fulfilled its main purpose. After separation, the gliding parts glide down to the ground. The gliding part comprises a section of the nose part and a section of the mid-section part and a flat gliding surface alongside the section of the mid-section part. The slope of the nose part of the gliding part is steeper than the slope of the mid-section part of the gliding part. The air flows around the frame of the gliding part and a vortex forms above the upper edges of the gliding part, forcing the gliding part in the gliding position when it is in the atmosphere.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A rocket stage, comprising:

an elongated frame,
a nose, and
a tail,
wherein the frame comprises a mid-section part and a nose part comprising a cone shaped surface, and the frame on the mid-section part comprises several longitudinal side surfaces which are approximately flat,
wherein the longitudinal side surfaces of the mid-section part and the cone-shaped surface of the nose part together form an aerodynamic lifting body outer contour adapted to enable controlled atmospheric gliding descent of the rocket stage and of gliding parts derived therefrom without active propulsion, the longitudinal side surfaces shaped to generate aerodynamic lift during atmospheric gliding descent,
wherein the frame is configured as a structurally load-bearing stage structure and to separate longitudinally into two or more through gliding parts having a nose end and a tail end, each of the gliding parts comprising a section of the nose part and a section of the mid-section part, and each gliding part having a through, at least partly open inner section that, prior to separation, houses stage systems,
wherein, for each gliding part, one of the several longitudinal side surfaces of the mid-section part forms a planar or approximately planar gliding surface of the gliding part that, together with the associated section of the nose part, provides primary aerodynamic lift for the gliding part in the atmosphere, the gliding surface arranged symmetrically in relation to edges of the gliding part,
wherein geometrical proportions of the nose part and the mid-section part on each gliding part are selected such that a relation between a width of the nose part and a length of the nose part on the gliding part is about 1:2±30% and a relation between a width of the gliding part, a length of the nose part on the gliding part and a length of the mid-section part on the gliding part is about 1:2:5±30%, and
wherein a center of gravity of the gliding part, with systems accommodated therein, is closer to the nose end than to the tail end, such positioning adapted, in cooperation with the lifting-body outer countour, to passively orient the gliding part in a stable nose-first gliding attitude during atmospheric descent in the absence of active propulsion, and
wherein each of the gliding parts comprises control systems integrated into the nose part and/or the mid-section part and configured to steer or enhance the gliding properties of the gliding part during said atmospheric descent, the control systems comprising at least movable surfaces that are flush or recessed with the frame when the gliding parts together form the rocket stage and that are deployable from the frame to provide control and/or additional lifting or stabilizing surface area during the gliding descent.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A rocket stage, comprising:

an elongated frame,
a nose, and
a tail,
wherein the frame comprises a mid-section part and a nose part comprising a cone shaped surface, and the frame on the mid-section part comprises several longitudinal side surfaces which are approximately flat,
wherein the longitudinal side surfaces of the mid-section part and the cone-shaped surface of the nose part together form an aerodynamic lifting body outer contour adapted to enable controlled atmospheric gliding descent of the rocket stage and of gliding parts derived therefrom without active propulsion, the longitudinal side surfaces shaped to generate aerodynamic lift during atmospheric gliding descent,
wherein the frame is configured as a structurally load-bearing stage structure and to separate longitudinally into two or more through gliding parts having a nose end and a tail end, each of the gliding parts comprising a section of the nose part and a section of the mid-section part, and each gliding part having a through, at least partly open inner section that, prior to separation, houses stage systems,
wherein, for each gliding part, one of the several longitudinal side surfaces of the mid-section part forms a planar or approximately planar gliding surface of the gliding part that, together with the associated section of the nose part, provides primary aerodynamic lift for the gliding part in the atmosphere, the gliding surface arranged symmetrically in relation to edges of the gliding part,
wherein geometrical proportions of the nose part and the mid-section part on each gliding part are selected such that a relation between a width of the nose part and a length of the nose part on the gliding part is about 1:2±30% and a relation between a width of the gliding part, a length of the nose part on the gliding part and a length of the mid-section part on the gliding part is about 1:2:5±30%, and
wherein a center of gravity of the gliding part, with systems accommodated therein, is closer to the nose end than to the tail end, such positioning adapted, in cooperation with the lifting-body outer countour, to passively orient the gliding part in a stable nose-first gliding attitude during atmospheric descent in the absence of active propulsion, and
wherein each of the gliding parts comprises control systems integrated into the nose part and/or the mid-section part and configured to steer or enhance the gliding properties of the gliding part during said atmospheric descent, the control systems comprising at least movable surfaces that are flush or recessed with the frame when the gliding parts together form the rocket stage and that are deployable from the frame to provide control and/or additional lifting or stabilizing surface area during the gliding descent.

7 more elements