Multi-mission module

Claim 1

IN A SPACE VEHICLE CARRYING A PAYLOAD HAVING SPECIFIC SIZE AND WEIGHT CHARACTERISTICS, A STAGE COMPRISING: (A) AN IMMUTABLE FIRST GROUP OF ELEMENTS INCLUDING (1) A PLURALITY OF ROCKET ENGINES; (2) THRUST TRANSMITTING STRUCTURE SECURED TO EACH OF SAID ROCKET ENGINES; (3) SAID THRUST TRANSMITTING STRUCTURE COMPRISING A FRAMEWORK JOINED TO SAID ROCKET ENGINES AND PROJECTING TOWARD THE PERIPHERY OF SAID STAGE; (4) A PLURALITY OF PROPELLANT CONTAINER BULKHEADS; (5) CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ROCKET ENGINES; (B) A SPECIALIZED SECOND GROUP ELEMENTS INCLUDING (1) A LOAD BEARING STRUCTURE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO SUPPORT SAID PAYLOAD; (2) SAID LOAD BEARING STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTING RINGS ENCIRCLING SAID FIRST GROUP OF ELEMENTS; (3) MEANS FOR JOINING SELECTED PAIRS OF SAID CONTAINER BULKHEADS TO FORM CLOSED CONTAINERS THE CAPACITY OF WHICH MAY BE VARIED BY CHANGING THE SIZE OF SAID MEANS TO THEREBY PROVIDE A MEANS FOR VARYING PROPELLANT LOADINGS; (4) MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID CONTAINERS; (C) MEANS FOR SECURING SAID FRAMEWORK OF SAID THRUST TRANSMITTING STRUCTURE TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SUPPORTING RINGS; (D) MEANS FOR SECURING THE CLOSED CONTAINERS FORMED BY SAID BULKHEADS AND SAID JOINING MEANS TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SUPPORTING RINGS.