Granted Patent B2

US 12,656,093 · App. 18/218,265 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventor: Raimo Hirvinen (Hyvinkää, FI)

F42B15/36

Abstract

Claims (45)

1 . A rocket stage, comprising:

an elongated frame,

a nose, and

a tail,

wherein the frame comprises a mid-section part and a nose part comprising a cone shaped surface, and the frame on the mid-section part comprises several longitudinal side surfaces which are approximately flat,

wherein the longitudinal side surfaces of the mid-section part and the cone-shaped surface of the nose part together form an aerodynamic lifting body outer contour adapted to enable controlled atmospheric gliding descent of the rocket stage and of gliding parts derived therefrom without active propulsion, the longitudinal side surfaces shaped to generate aerodynamic lift during atmospheric gliding descent,

wherein the frame is configured as a structurally load-bearing stage structure and to separate longitudinally into two or more through gliding parts having a nose end and a tail end, each of the gliding parts comprising a section of the nose part and a section of the mid-section part, and each gliding part having a through, at least partly open inner section that, prior to separation, houses stage systems,

wherein, for each gliding part, one of the several longitudinal side surfaces of the mid-section part forms a planar or approximately planar gliding surface of the gliding part that, together with the associated section of the nose part, provides primary aerodynamic lift for the gliding part in the atmosphere, the gliding surface arranged symmetrically in relation to edges of the gliding part,

wherein geometrical proportions of the nose part and the mid-section part on each gliding part are selected such that a relation between a width of the nose part and a length of the nose part on the gliding part is about 1:2±30% and a relation between a width of the gliding part, a length of the nose part on the gliding part and a length of the mid-section part on the gliding part is about 1:2:5±30%, and

wherein a center of gravity of the gliding part, with systems accommodated therein, is closer to the nose end than to the tail end, such positioning adapted, in cooperation with the lifting-body outer countour, to passively orient the gliding part in a stable nose-first gliding attitude during atmospheric descent in the absence of active propulsion, and

wherein each of the gliding parts comprises control systems integrated into the nose part and/or the mid-section part and configured to steer or enhance the gliding properties of the gliding part during said atmospheric descent, the control systems comprising at least movable surfaces that are flush or recessed with the frame when the gliding parts together form the rocket stage and that are deployable from the frame to provide control and/or additional lifting or stabilizing surface area during the gliding descent.

2 . The rocket stage according to claim 1 , wherein angles between longitudinal side surfaces of the mid-section part are approximately equal on a transverse plane.

3 . The rocket stage according to claim 1 , wherein widths of the longitudinal side surfaces of the mid-section part are approximately equal on a transverse plane.

4 . The rocket stage according to claim 1 , wherein a relation between a width of the nose part and a length of the nose part on the gliding part is 1:2±30% the relation selected to contribute, in cooperation with the gliding surface, to passive nose-first stabilization of the gliding part during atmospheric glide.

5 . The rocket stage according to claim 1 , wherein:

a width of the gliding part is a transverse distance between the edges of the gliding part at the mid-section part of the gliding part, and

a relation between the width of the gliding part, the length of the nose part on the gliding part and the length of the mid-section part on the gliding part is 1:2:5±30%, wherein the gliding part attains controlled gliding descent without active propulsion using the gliding surface and nose section as primary lifting surfaces.

6 . The rocket stage according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control systems comprise several gliding support wings affixed to walls of the mid-section part,

the gliding support wings are positioned such that at least some of the gliding parts comprise at least two gliding support wings on the opposing walls of the gliding part, and

the gliding support wings are stowable substantially flush or recessed within the walls when the gliding parts together form the rocket stage and are deployable to extend at least partly outside of the gliding part so as to provide additional surface area in order to improve the gliding properties of the gliding part.

7 . The rocket stage according to claim 6 , wherein the gliding support wings are configured such that when the gliding support wings are swung out to improve gliding properties, the gliding support wings comprise parts that are approximately in a same plane as the gliding surface or diverge at most 60 degrees from a plane of the gliding surface.

8 . The rocket stage according to claim 6 , wherein the gliding support wings are arranged affixed to an inside of the frame and stowable within an interior of the wall, or affixed to an outside of the frame behind fairing doors that close substantially flush with an outer contour of the frame when the wings are stowed.

9 . The rocket stage according to claim 1 , wherein the nose part comprises several movable nose surface parts arranged on an outer surface of the nose part, the nose surface parts arranged such that each gliding part comprises at least one nose surface part, and the nose surface part configured to function in a canard arrangement for a gliding part during the glide, and the nose surface parts form at least part of the control systems the nose surface parts stowable substantially flush with the nose part when the gliding parts together form the rocket stage.

10 . The rocket stage according to claim 1 , wherein an included angle between the planes of the nose part and the mid-section part measured relative to a plane of the gliding surface is between 10 to 45 degrees.

11 . The rocket stage according to claim 1 , wherein the gliding parts are configured and arranged to partly overlap in a load-bearing manner when the gliding parts form the frame.

12 . A rocket comprising at least one rocket stage, the at least one rocket stage comprising:

an elongated frame, surfaces shaped to generate aerodynamic lift during atmospheric gliding descent,

a nose, and

a tail, and

wherein the frame comprises a mid-section part and a nose part comprising a cone shaped surface, and the frame on the mid-section part comprises several longitudinal side surfaces which are approximately flat,

wherein the frame is configured to separate longitudinally into two or more through gliding parts having a nose end and a tail end, and each of the gliding parts comprises a section of the nose part and a section of the mid-section part and one of several longitudinal side surfaces on the gliding part is a gliding surface, and the gliding surface is arranged symmetrically in relation to edges of the gliding part, and

wherein a center of gravity of the gliding parts is closer to the nose end than to the tail end, such positioning being adapted to passively orient the gliding part in a nose-first direction during descent, and

each of the gliding parts comprises control systems configured to steer or enhance the gliding properties of the gliding part, the control systems comprising at least movable surfaces stowable substantially flush with the frame when the gliding parts together form the rocket stage and deployable during atmospheric gliding descent.

13 . A rocket according to claim 12 , wherein the rocket stage comprises systems configured to jettison when the frame of the rocket stage separates into the gliding parts.

14 . A gliding part, comprising:

a section of a frame of a rocket stage,

a through structure having a nose end and a tail end, a through inner section of the gliding part configured to be at least partly open,

a nose part and a mid-section part, the nose part comprising a cone shaped surface part and the mid-section part comprising several longitudinal side surfaces which are approximately flat, the nose part and the longitudinal side surface together forming a lifting-body outer contour, the several longitudinal side surfaces shaped to generate aerodynamic lift during gliding descent, and wherein one of the several longitudinal side surfaces is a gliding surface,

control systems configured to steer or enhance gliding properties of the gliding part, the control systems comprising at least movable surfaces that are stowable substantially flush with the nose part and/or mid-section part when the gliding part forms part of the rocket stage and deployable during atmospheric descent, and

wherein the gliding surface is arranged symmetrically in relation to edges of the gliding part,

wherein the nose part, the gliding surface and the at least partially hollow inner part of the gliding part provide gliding properties for the gliding part in an atmosphere,

wherein a center of gravity of the gliding part is closer to the nose end than to the tail end, such CG positioning adapted to passively orient the gliding part in a nose-first direction during descent.

15 . The gliding part according to claim 14 , wherein the gliding part is configured to land and reuse.

16 . The rocket stage of claim 1 , wherein the nose part, mid-section part, and gliding surface together form an aerodynamic shape adapted to enable controlled gliding descent without active propulsion.

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (33)