Payload housing and assembly joint for a launch vehicle

Abstract

A launch vehicle payload housing and assembly joint for a launch vehicle, the housing comprising a shroud having first and second shell sections, and a frusto-conical payload adapter mounted in the shroud. The shell sections are connected together to form a housing. A peripherally extending explosive seam and a pair of longitudinally extending explosive seams hold the shell sections together. Each seam comprises a plurality of seam elements which include a pair of brackets attached to opposed ends of those parts of the shell abutting the longitudinally and peripherally extending seams. The brackets are spaced from one another to define a cavity. The cavity accommodates a deformable tube which houses explosive material in the form of an explosive cord. Detonation of the explosive material causes the shell sections to separate from one another. Longitudinally acting thrustor springs and transverse acting assistor springs urge the shell sections apart to pivot about hinges between the shell sections and a base ring. The hinges comprise brackets which are separable from one another when the shell sections are in their separated open state. This allows the shell sections automatically to be discarded once fully opened. The assembly joint for connecting a shroud and a payload adapter to a final stage motor of a launch vehicle comprises a flange defined by a lower end of a wall of the shroud, an adapter bracket secured to a lower end of the adapter, the adapter bracket defining a flange aligned with the flange of the shroud wall, and a motor bracket secured to an outer wall of the final stage motor. The motor defines a flange aligned with the flange of the adapter bracket. The three flanges define axially extending aligned holes for receiving bolts to secure the flanges to one another.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.