Method for production and supply of a densified liquid oxygen product for space vehicle applications

A method of supplying a densified, liquid oxygen stream for a space vehicle launch, the method comprising the steps of:

• (i) producing a gaseous oxygen stream in an air separation unit;
• (ii) directing the gaseous oxygen stream via a pipeline from the air separation unit to a space launch facility, the space launch facility having one or more launch platforms;
• (iii) liquefying and subcooling the gaseous oxygen stream in a first refrigeration stage to yield a subcooled, liquid oxygen stream;
• (iv) densifying the subcooled, liquid oxygen stream in a first refrigeration stage to yield a densified, liquid oxygen stream;
• (v) directing the densified, liquid oxygen stream to one or more storage tanks disposed at the launch facility;
• (vi) suppling the densified, liquid oxygen from the one or more storage tanks to a space vehicle at least one of the one or more launch platforms;
• wherein the first refrigeration stage is disposed at the launch facility and is configured to receive a first refrigerant and flow the first refrigerant through a first primary heat exchanger to cool the gaseous oxygen stream and then through a first subcooler to subcool and liquefy the cooled gaseous oxygen stream via indirect heat exchange with a residual portion the first refrigerant to yield the subcooled, liquid oxygen stream;
• and
• wherein the second refrigeration stage is disposed at the launch facility proximate the first refrigeration stage and is configured to flow a second refrigerant through a second heat exchanger to subcool the liquid oxygen stream and yield a densified, liquid oxygen stream.