# US 2014/0360157 A1 · Rocket vehicle with integrated attitude control and thrust vectoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0360157 A1 - Document ID: US20140360157A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/912,837 - Filed: 2013-06-07 - Published: 2014-12-11 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-07 - Assignees: Raytheon Company - Applicants: Raytheon Company - Inventors: Michael A. Barker; Dean W. Smith; Edward J. Marquart; Joseph R. Corrado - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360157A1 ## CPC - F02K 9/80: characterised by thrust or thrust vector control (burning control of solid propellants F02K9/26; feeding control of liquid or gaseous propellants F02K9/56; re-ignitable, restartable or intermittently operated rocket-engine plants F02K9/94) - F42B 10/66: Steering by varying intensity or direction of thrust (thrust vector control of rocket engine plants F02K9/80 {; guiding or controlling apparatus using jets adapted for cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/26}) - F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00) - F42B: EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION (explosive compositions C06B; fuzes F42C; blasting F42D) ## Abstract A rocket vehicle includes a controller that integrates operation of a variable-vector main thruster and attitude control thrusters. When the main thruster is firing and roll is commanded, the controller can provide roll moment by firing only a single attitude control thruster, while changing the thrust vector of the main thruster to offset any pitch/yaw moments induced by the firing of the single attitude control thruster. The single attitude control thruster may be a thruster on the leeward side of the rocket vehicle. Since there is a lower wall pressure on the leeward side of the rocket vehicle, the thruster efficiency is improved by accomplishing roll by use of a single thruster (which may be one of a pair of thrusters used to achieve roll in one direction). A significant reduction in fuel use may be accomplished. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rocket vehicle comprising: a fuselage; a main thruster coupled to the fuselage, wherein the main thruster provides forward thrust to the rocket vehicle; an attitude control system that includes pairs of attitude control thrusters for providing roll moments in opposite directions; and a controller operatively coupled to the attitude control system and the main thruster; wherein the main thruster is a vector control thruster that allows variation in thrust direction of the main thruster; and wherein the controller changes the thrust direction of the main thruster to compensate for the lateral moment created when developing the roll moment by using only one attitude control thruster of the one of the pairs of attitude control thrusters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rocket vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is part of an autopilot of the rocket vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The rocket vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller, at least sometimes when roll is commanded, selectively uses only a leeward attitude control thruster of one of the pair of attitude control thrusters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The rocket vehicle of claim 3, wherein the controller selectively uses the leeward attitude control thruster only when the rocket vehicle is in atmosphere. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The rocket vehicle of claim 3, wherein the controller selectively uses the leeward attitude control thruster only when the main thruster is already firing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The rocket vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller, when only the leeward attitude control thruster is used, changes the thrust direction of the main thruster to compensate for pitch moment and/or yaw moment induced by the leeward attitude control thruster. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The rocket vehicle of any of claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor operatively coupled to the controller. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The rocket vehicle of claim 1, wherein the pairs of attitude control thrusters are each diametrically opposed on opposite sides of the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The rocket vehicle of claim 1, wherein the attitude control thrusters include at least four attitude control thrusters. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The rocket vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rocket vehicle is a multi-stage rocket vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The rocket vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rocket vehicle includes a booster that includes the main thruster. ### Claim 12 A method of guiding a rocket vehicle, the method comprising: firing a variable-vector main thruster of the vehicle to provide main thrust to the rocket vehicle; and while the main thruster is firing, firing an attitude control thruster to roll the rocket vehicle, while also changing a thrust vector of the main thruster to compensate for pitch and/or yaw induced by the firing of the attitude control thruster. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the firing the attitude control thruster includes firing one of a pair of attitude control thrusters diametrically opposed on opposite sides of the rocket vehicle; and further comprising selectively firing both of the pair of attitude control thruster simultaneously to roll the rocket vehicle, without changing the thrust vector of the main thruster. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the firing the attitude control thruster includes firing the one of the pair of attitude control thrusters that is on a leeward side of the rocket vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the changing the thrust vector or the main thruster includes tilting at least part of the main thruster. ### Claim 16 A method of guiding a rocket vehicle, the method comprising: determining, using a controller of the rocket vehicle to determine whether to roll the rocket vehicle by either 1) firing both of a pair of diametrically opposed attitude control thrusters of the rocket vehicle, or 2) firing only one of the pair of attitude control thrusters, while also changing a thrust vector of a main thruster of the rocket vehicle to compensate for pitch and/or yaw induced by the firing of only one of the pair of attitude control thrusters; and rolling the rocket vehicle based on the determining by the controller. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the determining includes firing both of the attitude control thrusters if the main thruster is not already firing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the determining includes firing both of the attitude control thrusters if the rocket vehicle is outside Earth's atmosphere. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the determining includes, for the firing only one of the attitude control thrusters, determining which of the attitude control thrusters is on a leeward side of the rocket vehicle, and using the thruster on the leeward side for the rolling.