Sea landing of space launch vehicles and associated systems and methods
US8678321B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 14, 2010 |
| Grant date | Mar 25, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 29, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB63B35/00
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Launch vehicle systems and methods for landing and recovering a booster stage and/or other portions thereof on a platform at sea or on another body of water are disclosed. In one embodiment, a reusable space launch vehicle is launched from a coastal launch site in a trajectory over water. After booster engine cutoff and upper stage separation, the booster stage reenters the earth's atmosphere in a tail-first orientation. The booster engines are then restarted and the booster stage performs a vertical powered landing on the deck of a pre-positioned sea-going platform. In one embodiment, bidirectional aerodynamic control surfaces control the trajectory of the booster stage as it glides through the earth's atmosphere toward the sea-going platform. The sea-going platform can broadcast its real-time position to the booster stage so that the booster stage can compensate for errors in the position of the sea-going platform due to current drift and/or other factors. After landing, the sea-going platform can be towed by, e.g., a tug, or it can use its own propulsion system, to transport the booster stage back to the coastal launch site or other site for reconditioning and reuse. In another …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.