Movable ground based recovery system for reuseable space flight hardware

A hardware capture system used to capture and recover space flight hardware that passes through an atmosphere in an approach to a terrestrial surface, the system comprising:

• a surface effect levitation system comprising one or more flexible skirts and a pressurization mechanism;
• a landing platform, comprising an energy absorbing open surface that comprises netting, to mechanically receive and capture the space flight hardware;
• a hovercraft propulsion system capable of maneuvering a hovercraft in forward/aft translation, left/right translation and directional rotation (compass heading) independently of each other;
• guidance, navigation and control (GN&C) hardware located on the hovercraft that directs motion of the hovercraft to maneuver itself beneath the descending space flight hardware, to approximately match the space flight hardware speed and direction when the space flight hardware approaches the landing platform.

A method for capturing reusable space flight hardware that passes through an atmosphere in an approach to a terrestrial surface, the method comprising:

• estimating a trajectory of the space flight hardware as the hardware descends;
• identifying a target landing region on the terrestrial surface that the estimated trajectory will intersect as the hardware approaches the terrestrial surface;
• providing at least one ground based vehicle that is movable and maneuverable and that provides a dry landing platform for the space flight hardware at an ocean landing site;
• pre-positioning the at least one ground based vehicle in the target landing region so that the estimated trajectory intersects at least a portion of the landing platform;
• providing an atmospheric deceleration system on the space flight hardware;
• activating the deceleration system on the space flight hardware as the hardware approaches the terrestrial surface;
• allowing the space flight hardware to descend in reaction to aerodynamic and gravitational forces acting upon the space flight hardware and the deceleration system;
• measuring relative positions of the space flight hardware and at least one of the landing platform and the ground based vehicle;
• maneuvering the ground based vehicle using the measured relative positions and the estimated trajectory to capture the space flight hardware as the hardware descends to the terrestrial surface.