Recovery of a final stage of a spacecraft launch vehicle
AssigneePlanetary Systems Corporation
InventorsWalter HOLEMANS, Ryan Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
After deploying its payload, the final stage of a launch vehicle is maneuvered to couple the nosecone of the launch vehicle to the ‘rear’, or ‘engine-end’ of the final stage. The nosecone covers the engine of the final stage, to protect the engine and related components from the heat of re-entry and the impact of landing. Placing the nosecone over the engine and orienting the combination such that the nosecone ‘leads’ the final stage during re-entry, places the center of gravity of the combination ahead of the center of pressure in the direction of travel. Accordingly, the combination is inherently stable as it re-enters the atmosphere and falls to earth. Parachutes and directional devices are used to provide a controlled soft landing.
Claims54
A spacecraft comprising:
- a volume that facilitates a payload;
- a fairing that surrounds the volume to protect the payload;
- a deployment system that enables deploying the payload in space;
- an engine that propels the spacecraft and is situated at an engine-end of the spacecraft;
- a nosecone that, when the spacecraft is launched, is at a nose-end of the spacecraft, wherein the nose-end and the engine-end are opposite ends of the spacecraft;
- and
- a recovery system;
- wherein the deployment system enables the nosecone to be released from the nose-end of the spacecraft;
- wherein the recovery system enables the nosecone to be situated at the engine-end of the spacecraft after being released from the nose-end;
- and
- wherein the recovery system secures the nosecone to the engine-end to provide protection to the engine.
A method comprising:
- providing an engine of a spacecraft at an engine-end of the spacecraft;
- coupling one or more payload elements to the engine;
- coupling a nosecone to the payload element at nosecone-end of the spacecraft, opposite from the engine-end;
- wherein:
- the spacecraft includes:
- a deployment system that enables deploying the payload elements in space;
- and
- a recovery system;
- wherein the deployment system enables the nosecone to be released from the nose-end of the spacecraft;
- wherein the recovery system enables the nosecone to be situated at the engine-end of the spacecraft after being released from the nose-end;
- and
- wherein the recovery system secures the nosecone to the engine-end to provide protection to the engine.
A method comprising:
- providing an engine of a spacecraft at an engine-end of the spacecraft;
- vertically coupling one or more payload elements above the engine;
- vertically coupling a nosecone to an uppermost payload element of the one or more payload elements at a nosecone-end of the spacecraft;
- wherein:
- the vertical coupling comprises:
- coupling the payload elements to the engine and nosecone using threaded rods;
- selectively enabling a securing element in the payload elements that engages threads of the threaded rods;
- and
- rotating the threaded rods to couple and preload each payload element.
A method of recovering an engine of a spacecraft in space, wherein the spacecraft comprises the engine at an engine-end of the spacecraft and a nosecone at a nosecone-end of the spacecraft, the method comprising:
- releasing the nosecone from the nosecone-end of the spacecraft;
- situating the nosecone at the engine-end of the spacecraft;
- securing the nosecone to the engine-end of the spacecraft;
- enabling the spacecraft to descend toward earth;
- deploying auxiliary components from the spacecraft to reduce a rate of descent of the spacecraft;
- and
- using the auxiliary components to land the spacecraft;
- wherein the nosecone at the engine-end of the spacecraft protects the engine from effects of re-entry into the atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.