US 2026/0184441 A1Published application

Reusable Launch Vehicle with Auxiliary Propellant Tanks for Non-Ascent Burns

AssigneeBlue Origin, LLC

InventorsAdam M. WUERL, Gary GRAYSON, David DEGENHARDT

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Abstract

A reusable launch vehicle comprising auxiliary tanks for non-ascent burns, such as orbital maneuver burns, reorientation burns, deorbit burns, or landing burns, and/or power generation. The auxiliary tanks may provide propellants for an orbital maneuvering system, an orbital reaction control system, a reentry reaction control system, and/or a power generation system. The tanks are configured to maintain cryogenic properties of auxiliary fuel and auxiliary oxidizer for the duration of the mission. An auxiliary fuel tank, a main fuel tank, an auxiliary oxidizer tank, and a main oxidizer tank may have various relative positions with respect to each other within the launch vehicle. The auxiliary fuel tank and auxiliary oxidizer tank may comprise insulation to further insulate the cryogenic fluids.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A reusable upper stage rocket comprising:

a rocket body extending from an aft end to a forward end, the forward end comprising a payload and the aft end comprising a main engine;
a main fuel tank located within the rocket body and storing liquid hydrogen;
a main oxidizer tank located within the rocket body and storing liquid oxygen, wherein the main fuel tank and the main oxidizer tank are in fluid communication with the main engine and are configured to provide the respective liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to the main engine to produce a main ascent burn;
an auxiliary fuel tank located within the rocket body and storing additional liquid hydrogen, the auxiliary fuel tank fluidly separated from the main fuel tank and the main oxidizer tank and comprising insulation configured to thermally insulate the additional liquid hydrogen;
and
an auxiliary oxidizer tank located within the rocket body and storing additional liquid oxygen, the auxiliary oxidizer tank fluidly separated from the main fuel tank and the main oxidizer tank and comprising insulation configured to thermally insulate the additional liquid oxygen, wherein the auxiliary fuel tank and the auxiliary oxidizer tank are not configured to provide the respective additional liquid hydrogen and additional liquid oxygen to the main engine to produce the main ascent burn.

3 more elements

A launch vehicle comprising:

a reusable first stage rocket;
and
a reusable upper stage rocket supported forward of the reusable first stage rocket, the reusable upper stage rocket comprising:
a rocket body extending from an aft end to a forward end, the forward end having a payload and the aft end comprising a main engine;
a main fuel tank located within the rocket body and storing liquid hydrogen;
a main oxidizer tank located within the rocket body and storing liquid oxygen, wherein the main fuel tank and the main oxidizer tank are in fluid communication with the main engine and are configured to provide the respective liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to the main engine to produce a main ascent burn;
an auxiliary fuel tank located within the rocket body and storing additional liquid hydrogen, the auxiliary fuel tank fluidly separated from the main fuel tank and the main oxidizer tank and comprising insulation configured to thermally insulate the additional liquid hydrogen;
and
an auxiliary oxidizer tank located within the rocket body and storing additional liquid oxygen, the auxiliary oxidizer tank fluidly separated from the main fuel tank and the main oxidizer tank and comprising insulation configured to thermally insulate the additional liquid oxygen, wherein the auxiliary fuel tank and the auxiliary oxidizer tank are not configured to provide the respective additional liquid hydrogen and additional liquid oxygen to the main engine to produce the main ascent burn.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.