Aeronautics and astronautics – Composite aircraft
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2001-02-27
Barefoot, Galen L. (Department: 3644)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Composite aircraft
C244S158700, C244S164000, C244S172200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193187
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicles used to place payloads such as satellites in earth orbit. The new vehicle normally uses two or three stages comprised of an ejector ramjet powered aerospacecraft, a second stage rocket powered reusable spacecraft to place payloads in low and medium earth orbit, and if necessary a third stage rocket powered reusable orbit transfercraft to place payloads in geosynchronous transfer orbit. The aerospacecraft may also be used with a combination of reusable and expendable upper stages, or all expendable upper stages, including a fourth stage, to place payloads in geosynchronous or planetary orbits. The aerospacecraft may also be used to carry payloads as a hypersonic aircraft.
2. Description of Related Art
There are currently in use various vehicles for placing satellites in earth orbit. These vehicles usually involve a rocket or missile or an aircraft and rocket combination. Such vehicles are well known and are manufactured in the United States as well as other countries. Numerous examples exist such as the Space Shuttle of the United States, the Ariane of France, the Proton of Russia and the like. The concept of the use of existing high altitude aircraft using rockets or missiles for launch from the aircraft has been disclosed and prototypes tested. Also, various designs for large horizontal take off initial lift vehicles have been proposed as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,802,639 and 5,402,965.
However, the use of an ejector ramjet powered aerodynamic vehicle with flight characteristics designed for horizontal take off or for launch from a larger aircraft has not been utilized for space launch of orbital payloads. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,985.
The present invention provides an aerodynamic vehicle optimized for flight from zero to hypersonic velocity with the capability to pull up out of the sensible atmosphere with auxiliary ascent rocket engines. The aerodynamic vehicle, the aerospacecraft, flies to an altitude to allow orbital placement of the payload with the use of one or more rocket stages. The aerospacecraft and rocket stages each then return and land to be reused. The aerospacecraft may also be used to transport payload in its cargo bay in which case it would take off and fly to a destination location and land.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide an aerodynamic which for use in launch of earth orbit payloads another object of the present invention is to provide a fully reusable multi-stage launch system to place payloads in earth orbit. The multi-stage launch system is comprised of an ejector ramjet powered aerospacecraft first stage for all missions, a rocket powered reusable spacecraft second stage for medium and low earth orbit missions, and a rocket powered reusable orbit transfercraft for geosynchronous transfer orbit missions. Another object is to deliver human or human related payloads to low or medium earth orbits using a man rated aerospacecraft and reusable spacecraft. A further object is to support special missions using the aerospacecraft, reusable spacecraft, reusable orbit transfercraft, expendable second stage, expendable third stage and expendable fourth stage in various combinations to place payloads in earth or planetary orbits. An additional object is to use the capability of the aerospacecraft as a hypersonic aircraft to carry a payload between destinations.
In accordance with the description presented herein, other objectives of this invention will become apparent when the description and drawings are reviewed.
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Scott Harry
Wurst Stephen G.
Barefoot Galen L.
Beech Dennis W.
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