IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0815306
(2010-06-14)
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등록번호 |
US-8678321
(2014-03-25)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Bezos, Jeffrey P.
- Lai, Gary
- Findlay, Sean R.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
8 인용 특허 :
19 |
초록
▼
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 boos
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 embodiment, the booster stage can be transferred to another vessel for transport. In still further embodiments, the booster can be refurbished while in transit from a sea-based or other landing site.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method for operating a space launch vehicle, the method comprising: launching the space launch vehicle from earth in a nose-first orientation, wherein launching the space launch vehicle includes igniting one or more rocket engines on the space launch vehicle;reorienting the space launch vehicle
1. A method for operating a space launch vehicle, the method comprising: launching the space launch vehicle from earth in a nose-first orientation, wherein launching the space launch vehicle includes igniting one or more rocket engines on the space launch vehicle;reorienting the space launch vehicle to a tail-first orientation after launch;positioning a landing structure in a body of water; andvertically landing the space launch vehicle on the landing structure in the body of water in the tail-first orientation while providing thrust from at least one of the one or more rocket engines. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein launching the space launch vehicle from earth includes launching the space launch vehicle from a launch site on land. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the landing structure is a floating platform. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising reusing at least a portion of the space launch vehicle. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transporting the space launch vehicle on the landing structure to a refurbishment facility;refurbishing at least a portion of the space launch vehicle at the refurbishment facility; andreusing at least a portion of the space launch vehicle after refurbishment. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring a reusable portion of the space launch vehicle from the landing structure to a transit vessel while the landing structure remains in the body of water to receive a subsequently launched vehicle. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the space launch vehicle includes a payload carried on an upper stage mounted to a booster stage, wherein igniting one or more rocket engines includes igniting one or more rocket engines on the booster stage to launch the space launch vehicle from a launch site on land, wherein reorienting the space launch vehicle includes reorienting the booster stage to a tail-first orientation, and wherein the method further comprises: turning off the one or more rocket engines on the booster stage;separating the upper stage from the booster stage at a predetermined altitude;receiving positional information from the landing platform and controlling a trajectory of the booster stage as is moves toward the landing platform in the tail-first orientation based on the positional information; andreigniting the one or more rocket engines on the booster stage prior to landing, wherein the landing structure is a mobile landing platform, and wherein vertically landing the space launch vehicle includes vertically landing the booster stage on the mobile landing platform. 8. A method for transporting a payload to space, the method comprising: coupling the payload to a booster stage of a rocket, the booster stage having a forward end portion spaced apart from an aft end portion and one or more rocket engines positioned toward the aft end portion;positioning a floating platform in a body of water;igniting at least one of the one or more rocket engines and launching the rocket toward space in a nose-first orientation;turning off at least one of the ignited one or more rocket engines;separating the payload from the booster stage;after separating and turning off, reorienting the booster stage from the nose-first orientation to a tail-first orientation;after reorienting, igniting at least one of the one or more rocket engines to decelerate the booster stage; andlanding the booster stage on the floating platform in the tail-first orientation, wherein landing the booster stage includes performing a powered, vertical landing of the booster stage on the platform. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: after the booster stage has separated from the payload and followed a ballistic trajectory, deploying an aerodynamic control surface from the booster stage to facilitate reorienting the booster stage from the nose-first orientation to a tail-first orientation. 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: operating one or more propulsive thrusters mounted to the booster stage to facilitate reorienting the booster stage from the nose-first orientation to a tail-first orientation. 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising: moving an aerodynamic control surface on the booster stage to at least partially control a flight path of the booster stage toward the platform based on platform positional information received from the platform. 12. The method of claim 8: wherein igniting at least one of the one or more rocket engines includes igniting a first rocket engine,wherein turning off at least one of the one or more rocket engines includes turning off the first rocket engine, andwherein, after reorienting, igniting at least one of the one or more rocket engines includes reigniting the first rocket engine. 13. A method for transporting a payload to space, the method comprising: coupling the payload to a booster stage of a rocket, the booster stage having a forward end portion spaced apart from an aft end portion;positioning a floating platform in a body of water;igniting one or more rocket engines positioned toward the aft end portion of the booster stage and launching the rocket toward space in a nose-first orientation;turning off the one or more rocket engines;separating the payload from the booster stage;after the booster stage has separated from the payload and followed a ballistic trajectory, deploying one or more flared control surfaces from the forward end portion of the booster stage to facilitate reorienting the booster stage from the nose-first orientation to a tail-first orientation; andlanding the booster stage on the floating platform in the tail-first orientation. 14. A system for providing access to space, the system comprising: a space launch vehicle, wherein the space launch vehicle includes one or more rocket engines;a launch site;a sea going platform;means for launching the launch vehicle from the launch site a first time, wherein the means for launching include means for igniting the one or more rocket engines and launching the vehicle in a nose-first orientation;means for shutting off the one or more rocket engines;means for reorienting the launch vehicle from the nose-first orientation to a tail-first orientation before landing;means for reigniting at least one of the one or more rocket engines when the launch vehicle is in the tail-first orientation to decelerate the vehicle;means for landing at least a portion of the launch vehicle on the sea going platform in a body of water, wherein the means for landing include means for landing in the tail-first orientation while the one or more rocket engines are thrusting; andmeans for launching at least a portion of the launch vehicle from the launch site a second time. 15. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for landing include means for vertically landing at least a portion of the space launch vehicle on a floating platform.
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