B - Operations – Transporting – 64 – G
Patent
B - Operations, Transporting
64
G
B64G 1/00 (2006.01) B64C 25/08 (2006.01) B64C 31/024 (2006.01) B64D 3/00 (2006.01) B64D 5/00 (2006.01) B64G 1/14 (2006.01) B64G 5/00 (2006.01)
Patent
CA 2237583
Orbital launch vehicles (1) with aerodynamic lifting surfaces (2) enabling them to be towed as gliders behind conventional aircraft (19), and the method of towing these launch vehicles using a flexible cable (18) to connect them with a conventional aircraft (19), for placing spacercraft (15) into low earth orbit at greatly reduced cost compared to current orbital launch systems. The lift from the aerodynamic surfaces (2) enables the launch vehicles (1) to be towed by means of a flexible cable (18) from a conventional runway using existing aircraft (19). As with "conventional air-lauch", this permits spacercraft launch into orbit to originate from any conventional runway consistent with constraints of public safety, thus eliminating the need to build dedicated launch pads at geographic locations from which a full range of orbital inclinations can be reached.
L'invention concerne des véhicules (1) à lancement orbital ayant des surfaces de sustentation aérodynamiques (2) leur permettant d'être remorqués comme des planeurs par un avion usuel (19) et un procédé pour tirer ces véhicules spatiaux au moyen d'un câble flexible (18) les reliant à un avion usuel (19) et pour placer un véhicule spatial (15) sur une orbite terrestre basse. Le prix de ce lancement est nettement plus bas qu'avec des systèmes de lancement orbitaux usuels. La sustentation par les surfaces aérodynamiques (2) permet de tirer le véhicule (1) de lancement au moyen d'un câble flexible normal (18) depuis une piste de décollage normale au moyen d'un avion (19) d'un type existant. De manière analogue aux lancements usuels, ceci permet de mettre un véhicule spatial sur orbite à partir de n'importe quelle piste de décollage, sans danger pour la population, et évite d'avoir à construire des bases de lancement en des lieux géographiques permettant de couvrir la gamme complète des inclinaisons orbitales.
Fetherstonhaugh & Co.
Kelly Space & Technology Inc.
LandOfFree
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