Rocket propulsion system

Claim 1

A rocket propulsion system using a plurality of liquid cryogenic propellant components composed of low-temperature liquefied fuel gases comprising a first combustion chamber, an exhaust nozzle joined to said combustion chamber, and means for initially supplying said propellant components in a gaseous state at ambient temperature to said chamber prior to launching said system, means comprising fuel tanks containing said liquefied propellant components and pipe means including outlet pipes extending between the fuel tanks and the upstream and downstream ends of said chamber and exhaust nozzle for bringing said gases into heat exchange relation with the walls of said chamber and nozzle for heating the gases and cooling the walls, comprising individual cooling passages extending axially in heat exchange relation with said walls while simultaneously forming said walls and communicating with said pipe means, said pipe means further comprising additional fuel pipes extending between the outlet pipes from said fuel tanks and the upper parts of said fuel tanks, and valve means (34, 35, 36, 37) in said additional fuel pipes and said outlet pipes for feeding gaseous fuel into said cooling passages for making additional thrust generation (FIG. 5).