Self-refueling space propulsion system and operating method

A decelerating propulsion system for generating retro thrust for a space vehicle comprising:

• a hypervelocity diffuser nozzle for scooping up and ingesting atmospheric gas surrounding a celestial body at orbital velocities;
• and
• means for expelling thermal energy generated by atmospheric gas passing through said diffuser by radiative heat transfer.

A propulsion system for decelerating a space vehicle moving at orbital velocity near a celestial body having an atmosphere comprising:

• a hypervelocity diffuser having a sufficient opening for scooping up and ingesting a portion of said atmosphere that is substantially at rest with respect to said celestial body that the deceleration is generated primarily by transferring momentum from said vehicle is to said injested atmosphere;
• and
• means for cooling said ingested atmposhere by radiative heat transfer.

A system for decelerating a space vehicle moving in the vicinity of a celestial body having an atmosphere comprising:

• a hypervelocity diffuser for scooping up and ingesting a portion of said atmosphere when said vehicle dips into the tenuous upper reaches of said atmosphere thereby generating decelerating retro thrust by transferring momentum from said vehicle to said ingested atmosphere;
• and
• means for expelling thermal energy generated by said gas passing through said diffuser by radiative heat transfer into space.

A system as set forth in calim 40 further comprising:

• storage tank means for storing a portion of said ingested atmospheric gas onboard said space vehicle;
• and
• means for generating accelerating propulsive thrust by accelerating and expelling a portion of said ingested and stored atmospheric gas when said vehicle is moving outside said atmosphere.

A propulsion system for decelerating a space vehicle moving the in the vicinity of a celestial body having an atmosphere comprising:

• a hypervelocity diffuser for ingesting a portion of said atmosphere at orbital velocity;
• and wherein
• said diffuser has at least a portion of its walls transparent to optical radiation such that said atmosphere passing through said diffuser can be cooled by radiating thermal energy through said transparent walls directly into space.

A propulsion system for decelerating a space vehicle moving at orbital velocity in the vicinity of a celestial body having an atmosphere comprising:

• means for ingesting a portion of said atmosphere into said space vehicle, thereby decelerating said vehicle by transferring momentum from said vehicle to said ingested atmosphere, said means comprising diffuser nozzle means for scooping up and converting directed kinetic energy of said incoming atmospheric gas into thermal energy;
• and
• means for expelling said thermal energy from said space vehicle by radiative heat transfer into space.

A propulsion system for generating decelerating propulsive thrust on a space vehicle comprising a hypervelocity diffuser for scooping up and decelerating atmospoheric gas moving with a relative velocity exceeding 7 km per second and means for cooling said ingested gas by radiative heat transfer.

A propulsion system for generating decelerating propulsive thrust on a space vehicle comprising:

• means for scooping up and ingesting natural atmospheric gas at orbital velocities, said means comprising a hypervelocity diffuser with an inlet diameter equal to or exceeding the maximum transverse diameter of said space vehicle;
• and
• means for cooling said ingested gas by radiative heat transfer.

A propuslion system for decelerating a space vehicle moving the vicinity of Earth comprising:

• a hypervelocity diffuser nozzle for scooping up and ingesting gas substantially at rest in the Earth's atmosphere;
• and
• means for cooling said ingested gas by radiative heat transfer.

A propulsion system for simultaneously decelerating a space vehicle and collecting atmosphere gas at orbital velocities comprising:

• a hypervelocity diffuser for ingesting atmospheric gas at orbital velocities;
• and
• means for cooling said ingested gas by radiative heat transfer.