A report proposes the development of a system for launching payloads into orbit at about one-fifth the cost per unit payload weight of current systems. The PILOT system was a solid-fuel, aerodynamically spun and spin-stabilized, five-stage rocket with onboard controls including little more than an optoelectronic horizon sensor and a timer for triggering the second and fifth stages, respectively. The proposal calls for four improvements over the PILOT system to enable control of orbital parameters: (1) the aerodynamic tipover of the rocket at the top of the atmosphere could be modeled as a nonuniform gyroscopic precession and could be controlled by selection of the initial rocket configuration and launch conditions; (2) the attitude of the rocket at the top of the first-stage trajectory could be measured by use of radar tracking or differential Global Positioning System receivers to determine when to trigger the second stage; (3) the final-stage engines could be configured around the payload to enhance spin stabilization during a half-orbit coast up to apoapsis where the final stage would be triggered; and (4) the final payload stage could be equipped with a "beltline" of small thrusters for correcting small errors in the trajectory as measured by an off-board tracking subsystem.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Launching Payloads Into Orbit at Relatively Low Cost


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2007-09-01


    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





    Requirements for launching payloads into low Earth orbit with a ground-based laser

    Phipps, Claude R. / Reilly, James P. / Campbell, Jonathan W. | SPIE | 2001



    Experimental Study of Air-Assisted Rocket System Models for Launching Payloads into a Low Earth Orbit

    Michał FRANT / Maciej MAJCHER / Łukasz OMEN et al. | DOAJ | 2022

    Free access

    A Kinetic Tether System for Launching Payloads

    Welch, C. S. / Jack, C. / International Astronautical Federation | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995