# US 2014/0151509 A1 · Capsule system, service module, and reuseable reentry payload and docking module

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- Number: US 2014/0151509 A1
- Document ID: US20140151509A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/234,402
- Filed: 2012-01-26
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2010-07-22
- Inventors: John Zelon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151509A1

## CPC

- B64G 1/62: Systems for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere; Retarding or landing devices
- B64G 1/14: Space shuttles {(reusable launch rockets B64G1/006)}
- B64G 1/60: Crew or passenger accommodations
- B64G 1/646: {Docking or rendezvous systems (refuelling in space B64G1/4024)}
- B64G 1/223: {Modular spacecraft systems}
- B64G 1/26: using jets
- B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR

## Abstract

A modular spacecraft comprising: a capsule module comprising a common bulkhead, and an additional spacecraft module comprising a common bulkhead, wherein said capsule modules common bulkhead is attached to said additional spacecraft module's common bulkhead.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A modular spacecraft comprising:
a capsule module comprising a common bulkhead, and
an additional spacecraft module comprising a common bulkhead, wherein said capsule module's common bulkhead is attached to said additional spacecraft module's common bulkhead.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 1 wherein:
said additional spacecraft module is selected from the list consisting of:
a service module,
a pressurized storage module,
an unpressurized storage module,
a short range propulsion module, and
a long range propulsion module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said common bulkheads comprises solid rigid material with no penetrations.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said common bulkheads comprises a feature selected from the list consisting of: a hatch, a window, or a cupola.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said common bulkheads further comprises a hatch selected from the list consisting of: a NASA Docking System, an Androgynous Peripheral Attach System, or a Passive Common Berthing Mechanism.

### Claim 6

A modular spacecraft comprising:
a capsule module comprising a common bulkhead,
a reusable reentry payload and docking module comprising a common bulkhead, and
a service module comprising a plurality of common bulkheads,
wherein one of the service module's common bulkheads is attached to the capsule module's common bulkhead, and one of the service module's common bulkheads is attached to the reusable reentry payload and docking module's common bulkhead.

### Claim 7

A modular spacecraft comprising: a service module comprising a common bulkhead, and an additional spacecraft module comprising a common bulkhead, wherein said service module's common bulkhead is attached to said additional spacecraft module's common bulkhead.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 7 wherein said service module has a top and bottom, and wherein said service module comprises: a top common bulkhead at said service module's top and a bottom common bulkhead at said service module's bottom.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 8 wherein said top common bulkhead comprises a hatch and said bottom common bulkhead comprises a hatch, and said service module further comprises a pressurized tunnel connecting said top common bulkhead's hatch to said bottom common bulkhead's hatch, and said pressurized tunnel forms a hermetic seal with said top common bulkhead's hatch and said pressurized tunnel forms a hermetic seal with said bottom common bulkhead's hatch.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 9 wherein said additional spacecraft module comprises a capsule module wherein said capsule module's common bulkhead is connected to said service module's top common bulkhead.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 10 wherein said capsule module's common bulkhead comprises a hatch and said capsule module's common bulkhead forms a hermetic seal with said service module's top common bulkhead.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 11 wherein said modular spacecraft further comprises a habitable module whose common bulkhead is attached to said service module's bottom common bulkhead, wherein said habitable module's common bulkhead comprises a hatch and said habitable module's common bulkhead forms a hermetic seal with said service module's bottom common bulkhead.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 11 wherein said modular spacecraft further comprises a pressurized cargo module whose common bulkhead is attached to said service module's bottom common bulkhead, wherein said pressurized cargo module's common bulkhead comprises a hatch and said pressurized cargo module's common bulkhead forms a hermetic seal with said service module's bottom common bulkhead.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 10 further comprising an unpressurized cargo module having a common bulkhead wherein said unpressurized cargo module's common bulkhead is attached to said service module's bottom common bulkhead.

### Claim 15 (depends on 7)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 7 wherein said additional module comprises a cargo module.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 15 wherein said cargo module's walls form a D-shaped perimeter comprising a flat section.

### Claim 17 (depends on 116)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 116 wherein said flat section of said cargo module's walls comprises a passive common berthing mechanism.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 16 wherein said flat section of said cargo module's walls comprises a cupola.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

A modular spacecraft according to claim 16 wherein said flat section of said cargo module's walls comprises an extendable docking mechanism.

### Claim 20

A modular spacecraft comprising:
a first spacecraft module comprising a common bulkhead,
a second spacecraft module comprising a common bulkhead,
wherein said first spacecraft module's common bulkhead is connected to said second spacecraft module's common bulkhead.