Patent US4667907A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4667907A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Space based orbit transfer vehicle
Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corp
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Filing: 1984-11-19
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Granted: 1987-05-26
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Expires: 2004-11-19
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is an orbital space transfer vehicle comprises essentially a composite hollow cylindrical body structure enclosing a spherical oxygen tank suspended and spaced from the inner wall of the cylindrical body structure, a hollow toroidal hydrogen tank suspended from and spaced from said cylindrical body structure, a main thrust rocket engine, and an aerobrake located at the aft end of the vehicle. This arrangement provides a vehicle with a very short length, lowers the required aerobrake size and maximizes vehicle controllability that may otherwise occur due to non-uniform distribution of the propellants during operation of the vehicle. Thus disclosed is a vehicle which can fully benefit from space basing, easily maintained while stationed in orbit, and transportable in a fully assembled state from earth to low earth orbit. Also disclosed is a space station with which the orbital transfer vehicle may cooperate while in space.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward J. Hujsak
- 👤 LeRoy E. Siden
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 20:15
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64G; B64G1/00; B64G1/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
An orbital transfer vehicle comprising: a main engine, a hollow cylindrical body structure having an aft end in the form of a cone to which the main engine is connected and through which the main thrust of said engine is carried and a forward end in the form of a cone with a docking fixture attached, a spherical tank for containing oxygen located within and spaced from said cylindrical body structure, a toroidal tank for containing hydrogen encompassing and spaced from said cylinderical body structure and spaced from said tank for containing oxygen, and, an aerobrake attached to said cylindrical body structure at the aft end of said vehicle, an opening in said aerobrake for extension of said main engine when said vehicle is in a thrusting mode, and means for closing said opening when said vehicle is in reentry mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
An orbital transfer vehicle comprising: a main engine, a hollow cylindrical body structure having an aft end in the form of a cone to which the main engine is connected and through which the main thrust of said engine is carried and a forward end in the form of a cone with a docking fixture attached, a spherical tank for containing oxygen located within and spaced from said cylindrical body structure, a toroidal tank for containing hydrogen encompassing and spaced from said cylinderical body structure and spaced from said tank for containing oxygen, and, an aerobrake attached to said cylindrical body structure at the aft end of said vehicle, an opening in said aerobrake for extension of said main engine when said vehicle is in a thrusting mode, and means for closing said opening when said vehicle is in reentry mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The orbital transfer vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further including thrusters on said vehicle for attitude control.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The orbital transfer vehicle as claimed in claim 2 including means for fueling said thrusters from the hydrogen tank.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The orbital transfer vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for fueling said thrusters includes a pair of tanks and pumping means for supplying hydrogen to said tanks.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The orbital transfer vehicle as claimed in claim 4 including avionics on said cylindrical body structure, said avionics being located in rails on said cylindrical body structure which enables their ready replacement during maintenance operations.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The orbital transfer vehicle as claimed in claim 5 wherein said aerobrake is hingedly attached to said cylindrical body structure for access to the main engine for repair and maintenance of said engine.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
The orbital transfer vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said aerobrake is located at the aft end of said vehicle, means for providing an opening through said aerobrake for the extension of the main engine therethrough when said vehicle is in a thrusting mode, and means for closing said opening when said vehicle is in a reentry mode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The orbital transfer vehicle as defined in claim 7 additionally comprising means for translating said engine longitudinally between vehicle thrust and reentry modes.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-05-25 | 1990-11-24 | 1991-05-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-05-25 | 1994-11-24 | 1995-05-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-05-25 | 1998-11-24 | 1999-05-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |