A multiple stage orbital delivery vehicle that uses tractor propulsion to launch the vehicle into space. Only the upper stage of the vehicle includes an engine and avionics allowing the lower stages to be only liquid propellant tanks that may be dumped when empty. The liquid propellant may be either monopropellant or bi-propellant. The upper stage may include multiple nozzles that burn the propellant. Alternatively, the upper stage may include an aerospike engine instead of nozzles. The multiple stage orbital delivery vehicle may be air launched from an airborne aircraft or may be launched from the ground.
Multiple stage tractor propulsion vehicle
2015-08-25
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64G Raumfahrt , COSMONAUTICS |
Comparison Plusher and Tractor Propulsion for Micro Air Vehicle Applications
SAE Technical Papers | 2006
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