Multiple payload/failure mode launch vehicles

A multi-stage launch vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of thruster stages including:
• a first rocket engine having a first thrust and propellant capacity;
• and
• a second rocket engine having a second thrust and propellant capacity;
• wherein said thruster stages have a combined performance capability of placing a first weight into a desired orbit during a nominal launch and a second reduced performance capability of placing a second weight into orbit if one of said rocket engines fails;
• a first payload, configured on one of said plurality of thruster stages, having a weight approximately equal to said second reduced performance capability weight;
• a second payload having a weight approximately equal to the difference between said first performance capability weight and said second reduced performance capability weight;
• and
• means for jettisoning said second payload in response to a non-nominal condition in the form of a benign failure in one of said first or said second engines.

A multi-stage launch vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of thruster stages including:
• a first rocket engine having a first thrust and propellant capability;
• a second rocket engine having a second thrust and propellant capability;
• a third rocket engine having a third thrust and propellant capability;
• wherein said thruster stages have a combined performance capability of placing a first weight into a desired orbit during a nominal launch, a second reduced performance capability of placing a second weight into orbit if one of said rocket engines fails, and a third reduced performance capability of placing a third weight into orbit if two of said rocket engines fail and wherein said launch vehicle further comprises:
• a first payload having a weight approximately equal to the vehicle performance capability weight if any two of said engines fail;
• a second payload having a weight equal to the difference between the vehicle performance capability weight with one engine failure and two engine failures;
• a third payload having a weight equal to the difference between the vehicle performance capability weights with no engine failures and one engine failure;
• means for jettisoning said third payload in response to a benign failure of one of said first, second or third engines;
• and
• means for jettisoning said second and third payloads in response to a benign failure of any two of said engines.

A multi-stage launch vehicle, comprising:

• a first stage having first and second solid rocket motors configured to burn in parallel;
• a second stage having liquid propellant burning engines, configured to burn in parallel with said first stage;
• a third stage, having liquid propellant burning engines configured to burn in parallel with said first and second stages;
• a fourth stage, having liquid propellant burning engines configured on top of said third stage so as to burn in series with said third stage;
• a first payload mounted on said first solid rocket motor and releasably coupled to said fourth stage;
• a second payload mounted on said second solid rocket motor and releasably coupled to said fourth stage;
• and
• a third payload mounted on said fourth stage.

A multi-stage launch vehicle, comprising:

• a first stage having first and second solid rocket motors configured to burn in parallel;
• a second stage having liquid propellant burning engines, configured to burn in parallel with said first stage;
• a third stage, having liquid propellant burning engines configured to burn in parallel with said first and second stages;
• a fourth stage, having liquid propellant burning engines configured on top of said third stage so as to burn in series with said third stage;
• a first payload mounted on said fourth stage;
• a second payload configured on said first payload;
• and
• means for jettisoning said second payload in response to a detection of a first failure mode in one of said launch vehicle stages.

A launch vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of thruster stages, each having one or more engines, said plurality of thruster stages having a combined thrust and propellant capacity to lift a first payload weight and a second payload weight into orbit for a nominal launch and reduced capacity sufficient to lift only said first payload weight into orbit upon occurrence of a first specified non-nominal condition in the form of a benign failure mode;
• first payload having a first weight mounted on one of said thruster stages;
• a second payload having a second payload weight;
• means for monitoring the performance of one or more of said thruster stages for indications of said specified benign failure mode;
• and
• means, responsive to said means for monitoring, for jettisoning said second payload in response to detection of said specified benign failure mode by said means for monitoring.

A launch vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of thruster stages, each having one or more engines, said plurality of thruster stages having a combined thrust and propellant capacity to lift a first payload weight into orbit for a nominal launch and reduced capacity sufficient to lift a second lower payload weight into orbit upon occurrence of a first specified non-nominal condition in the form of a benign failure mode;
• a first payload mounted on a final one of said stages;
• a second payload having a second payload weight configured on top of said first payload;
• means for releasably coupling said second payload to said launch vehicle;
• and
• means for jettisoning said second payload in response to detection of said specified benign failure mode.