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US 7,559,508 B1Granted
Propellant depot in space
OwnerThomas C. Taylor, Walter P. Kistler +1inventors
InventorsThomas C. Taylor, Walter P. Kistler, Robert A. Citron
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A space transportation propellant depot has multiple locations, sources and capabilities. Maximizing known mature technologies coupled with realistic industrial techniques results in the incremental development of a propellant source on the moon. Propellant depots are economically driven locations with defined services, sources of propellant and innovation in the pursuit of transportation related commerce as mankind explores for resources beyond Earth.
Claims16
An orbital propellant depot system, comprising:
- a low Earth orbit propellant depot that is supplied with propellant from an Earth based source, the low Earth orbit propellant depot storing propellant and refueling vehicles;
- and
- a lunar orbit propellant depot that is supplied with propellant from a lunar propellant source, the lunar orbit propellant depot storing propellant and refueling spacecraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.