Recoverable booster stage and recovery method
AssigneeKistler Aerospace Corporation
InventorsGeorge E. Mueller, Henry O. Pohl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A recoverable/reusable booster stage has a restartable center liquid-fueled rocket engine mounted in the aft portion of a vehicle body in alignment with the center axis of the body. The booster stage may also include two side liquid-fueled rocket engines mounted in the aft portion of the body in symmetrical relation to the center rocket engine. After booster stage separation, the center engine is restarted to direct the booster stage towards a recovery site.
Claims23
A launch vehicle, comprising:
- an upper stage operable to carry a payload;
- and
- a booster stage having a body with a longitudinal center axis and an aft portion, the booster stage further comprising a restartable center rocket engine mounted in the aft portion of the body in alignment with the center axis of the body, whereby the center rocket engine restarts after separation to direct the booster stage to a recovery site.
A booster stage of a launch vehicle, comprising:
- a body having a longitudinal center axis and an aft portion;
- and
- a restartable center liquid-fueled rocket engine mounted in the aft portion of the body in alignment with the center axis of the body, the center engine being mounted for selective adjustment of the thrust axis so that the booster stage is steerable, whereby the center rocket engine restarts after separation to direct the booster stage to a recovery site.
A method of recovering a booster stage of a launch vehicle, comprising:
- launching a launch vehicle from a launch site by starting a center engine of a booster stage;
- shutting down the center engine;
- separating the booster stage;
- restarting the center engine using a start cartridge;
- and
- directing the booster stage towards a recovery site by controlling the thrust direction of the restarted center engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.