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US 2021/0229841 A1Published application
Orbital delivery system and method
AssigneeABL Space Systems
InventorsHarrison O'Hanley, Daniel Piemont, Andrew Michael Keller-Goralczyk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An orbital delivery system includes a exo-atmospheric system arranged along an orbital or sub-orbital trajectory. The exo-atmospheric system includes a propulsion system to adjust an orientation responsive to a signal to begin a reentry procedure. During the reentry procedure, a deployment system is activated to engage an atmospheric landing system to direct a payload toward a landing location.
Claims20
A delivery system, comprising:
- a launch vehicle;
- an exo-atmospheric system (EAS) adapted to couple to the launch vehicle to position the EAS along at least one of an orbital trajectory or a sub-orbital trajectory, the EAS having one or more control systems for maneuvering the EAS into a reentry trajectory;
- and
- an atmospheric landing system associated with the EAS, the atmospheric landing system being deployable responsive to reentry of the EAS into an earth atmosphere, the atmospheric landing system directing at least a portion of the EAS to a landing location.
1 more element
An exo-atmospheric system (EAS), comprising:
- a payload volume;
- a propulsion system configured to adjust a trajectory of the EAS;
- and
- an atmospheric landing system, the atmospheric landing system being deployable, responsive to a delivery phase, to guide at least a portion of the EAS toward a landing location.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- initiating a reentry procedure for an object along an orbital or sub-orbital trajectory;
- determining a stage associated with the reentry procedure;
- determining a reentry property, for the stage, is below a threshold;
- and
- deploying a landing vehicle corresponding to the stage.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.