Landing pad assembly for aerospace vehicles

Claim 1

A LANDING PAD ASSEMBLY FOR ABSORBING THE KINETIC ENERGY OF A DESCENDING AEROSPACE VEHICLE COMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF STRUT MEANS ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID VEHICLE IN THE DIRECTION THAT SAID VEHICLE IS DESCENDING, SAID STRUT MEANS BEING DESIGNED TO ABSORB THE VERTICAL COMPONENTS OF SAID KINETIC ENERGY PRODUCED BY SAID VEHICLE CONTACTING THE LANDING SURFACE UPON WHICH SAID VEHICLE IS DESCENDING; (B) BOWL-SHAPED MEANS HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE ADAPTED TO INITIALLY ENGAGE THE LANDING SURFACE UPON WHICH SAID VEHICLE IS DESCENDING; AND (C) BALL JOINT MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID BOWL-SHAPED MEANS TO SAID STRUTS, SAID BALL JOINT MEANS HAVING TH E PIVOT POINT THEREOF LOCATED AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE BOTOM OF THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID BOWL-SHAPED MEANS SO THAT ANY LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID VEHICLE OVER SAID LANDING SURFACE ATER THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID BOWL-SHAPED MEANS HAS ENGAGED SAID LANDING SURFACE WILL RESULT IN SAID BOWL-SHAPED MEANS BEING PIVOTED ABOUT SAID PIVOT POINT INTO A POSITIVE ANGLE OF ATTACK WITH SAID LANDING SURFACE.