초록 ▼

An aerobraking orbital transfer vehicle which includes an aerobraking device which also serves as a heat shield in the shape of a raked-off elliptic or circular cone with a circular or elliptical base, and with an ellipsoid or other blunt shape nose. The aerobraking device is fitted with a toroid-li

An aerobraking orbital transfer vehicle which includes an aerobraking device which also serves as a heat shield in the shape of a raked-off elliptic or circular cone with a circular or elliptical base, and with an ellipsoid or other blunt shape nose. The aerobraking device is fitted with a toroid-like skirt and is integral with the support structure of the propulsion system and other systems of the space vehicle. The vehicle is intended to be transported in components to a space station in lower earth orbit where it is assembled for use as a transportation system from low earth orbit to geosynchronous earth orbit and return. Conventional guidance means are included for autonomous flight.

대표청구항 ▼

A reusable, spaced-based, aerobraking orbital transfer vehicle, said vehicle including a structure formed of bulkheads and stringers, the external configuration of said structure being in the shape of a raked-off, wide angle cone with a blunted nose and a toroid-like skirt about the base of the cone

A reusable, spaced-based, aerobraking orbital transfer vehicle, said vehicle including a structure formed of bulkheads and stringers, the external configuration of said structure being in the shape of a raked-off, wide angle cone with a blunted nose and a toroid-like skirt about the base of the cone to form an aerobrake providing drag and lift for said vehicle, the blunted nose reduces the stagnation point heat flux and the windward surface heat flux, the skirt provides a smooth transition from the conical surface to a surface that is more nearly parallel to the wind velocity reducing the heat flux near the trailing edge of the cone, the external surface of the aerobrake being covered with a material that will provide reuseable thermal protection during excursions of the vehicle into the atmosphere, the structure integrally supporting an ascent/descent propulsion system, the tankage therefor and other systems of said vehicle, the thrust vector of the propulsion system being approximately normal to an axis extending through the base of the cone.