Reusable orbiter with a rescue capsule that can be extracted from the front.

Description

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of space transportation of people.

[0002] The invention relates in particular to a reusable orbital vehicle and a method for evacuating the crew of such a vehicle, enabling the evacuation of a crew in the event of a mission interruption. Prior art

[0003] Manned space missions are generally carried out using a space transportation system comprising a reusable orbital vehicle, which carries a crew, mounted on a space launch vehicle. A "reusable vehicle" is defined as any spacecraft designed to perform atmospheric reentry and land at the end of its mission, although this does not preclude the possibility of replacing certain vehicle components before it can be used for a subsequent space mission.

[0004] In some cases, the orbital vehicle is installed at the top of the launcher and thus forms the final stage, the first stages being propulsion stages intended to separate successively from the launcher during or at the end of the ascent phase after having consumed their fuel.

[0005] An important aspect of this type of space transportation system concerns the possibilities of evacuating the crew in the event of an anomaly during the space mission.

[0006] In currently operational systems, the reusable orbital vehicle is used to evacuate the crew in the event of a launch vehicle failure during liftoff or ascent. To this end, the reusable orbital vehicle's thrusters are fired to detach it from the launch vehicle as quickly as possible.

[0007] The speed of this maneuver is, however, limited by the potentially large mass of an orbital vehicle, which must carry all the equipment necessary to accomplish missions in orbit.

[0008] Furthermore, in the event of a failure of the reusable orbital vehicle itself at a later stage of the space mission, the current state of the art offers only escape capsules as a solution for crew evacuation. These capsules can only be used during the approach phase, once the orbital vehicle has been sufficiently slowed down. Moreover, the use of such capsules can be dangerous if the orbital vehicle is not properly oriented.

[0009] Document FR-A-3 116 512 discloses a reusable space transportation system. Document US-A-2,977,080 discloses an aircraft with a detachable cabin. Such an aircraft is not suitable for space missions. Documents WO-A-2014 / 021741, US-B-6,948,682, and RU-C-2 053 168 disclose prior art systems. Description of the invention

[0010] The invention relates to a reusable orbital vehicle that can at least partially remedy these problems, as well as a method for evacuating the crew of such a vehicle.

[0011] It proposes for this purpose a reusable orbital vehicle for a space transportation system, comprising a fuselage with a flared shape in a direction from a front end of the reusable orbital vehicle to a rear end of said fuselage and within which is defined a housing extending to the front end of the reusable orbital vehicle, and a crew escape vehicle housed in said housing and oriented to extract itself from the housing in a direction oriented from said rear end of the fuselage towards said front end of the reusable orbital vehicle.

[0012] In general, the fact that the extraction of the crew escape vehicle from the reusable orbital vehicle is carried out forwards, in the nominal direction of movement of the reusable orbital vehicle, makes this extraction possible not only during the ascent phase but also on the launch pad before takeoff and during the approach, landing phases, and even after landing, insofar as the chances that the reusable orbital vehicle has an attitude compatible with such an extraction are thus maximized.

[0013] In preferred embodiments of the invention, said fuselage includes a cowling that surrounds the housing and extends flared outwards towards the rear end of said fuselage from a front end of the fuselage, which is truncated so as to define an opening that leads into the housing; and the crew escape vehicle includes a fuselage that has a nose extending through the opening so as to constitute a nose of the reusable orbital vehicle.

[0014] Preferably, the said nose extends in aerodynamic continuity with the cowling.

[0015] Preferably, the fuselage has a step formed at the base of said nose, and in which the truncated front end of the cowling is arranged axially opposite said step.

[0016] Preferably, the casing is formed of an annular row of panels joined two by two by frangible links constituting preferred break zones.

[0017] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the reusable orbital vehicle includes a deflector collar of generally frustoconical shape, extending within the housing so as to surround the crew escape vehicle and to be disposed rearward and axially opposite to propulsion means of the crew escape vehicle configured to generate thrust in said direction.

[0018] The invention also relates to a method for evacuating a crew from a reusable orbital vehicle of the type described above, comprising steps consisting of: A) install the reusable orbital vehicle crew inside the crew evacuation vehicle; then B) evacuate the crew by moving the crew evacuation vehicle in said direction so as to extract it out of the housing.

[0019] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the crew evacuation vehicle carries with it the nose of the reusable orbital vehicle during step B.

[0020] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the crew evacuation vehicle causes the rupture of said frangible links during step B.

[0021] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the crew evacuation vehicle causes the rupture of said deflector collar during step B.

[0022] In preferred embodiments of the invention, step B is implemented during any one of the phases of takeoff, ascent, end of atmospheric reentry, final approach, landing and post-landing. Brief description of the drawings

[0023] The invention will be better understood, and other details, advantages, and features thereof will become apparent from the following description, given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [ Fig. 1A ] is a schematic view of a space transportation system including a reusable orbital vehicle; [ Fig. 1B ] is a schematic view of the reusable orbital vehicle at the end of a space mission; [ Fig. 2] is a schematic perspective view of the front portion of the reusable orbital vehicle, revealing a crew escape vehicle housed within the vehicle's fuselage; Fig. 2A ] is a larger-scale view of a part of the figure 2 ; Fig. 3 [ ] is a schematic side view of the front portion of the reusable orbital vehicle of the figure 2 , also revealing the crew evacuation vehicle through the fuselage of the reusable orbital vehicle; Fig. 4 ] is a view similar to the figure 2 without the crew evacuation vehicle; [ Fig. 4A ] is a larger-scale view of a part of the figure 4 ; Fig. 5 ] is a view similar to the figure 3 without the crew evacuation vehicle; [ Fig. 6] is a schematic perspective view of the crew evacuation vehicle in an initial configuration intended for integration of the crew evacuation vehicle into the reusable orbital vehicle; Fig. 7 ] is a schematic longitudinal section view of the crew evacuation vehicle in the first configuration; [ Fig. 8 ] is a schematic perspective view of the crew evacuation vehicle in a second flight-oriented configuration; [ Fig. 9 ] is a schematic longitudinal section view of the crew evacuation vehicle in the second configuration. Detailed presentation of preferred embodiments

[0024] There Figure 1A illustrates a space transportation system 10 generally comprising a space launcher 12 on top of which is installed a reusable orbital vehicle 14.

[0025] The space launcher 12 typically includes one or more propulsion stage(s) 16.

[0026] The reusable orbital vehicle 14 comprises an aerodynamic fuselage 22 with a generally flared shape in a direction extending from a forward end 24 of the reusable orbital vehicle to a rear end 26 of this fuselage. The opposite direction, which is therefore oriented from the rear end 26 to the forward end 24, constitutes a nominal direction of travel D1 of the vehicle, which is, for example, parallel to a mean longitudinal axis 27 of the vehicle. In this description, this axis 27 serves as the reference for defining a cylindrical frame of reference {R, C} in which the radial direction R is at every point a direction orthogonal to and passing through the axis 27, and the ortho-radial direction C is at every point a direction orthogonal to the axis 27 and to the radial direction R.

[0027] It is therefore important to understand that the reusable orbital vehicle 14 is designed to move in the D1 direction during all phases of a space mission, including atmospheric reentry, and to only need to perform a turnaround during the final approach phase for landing on the rear of the vehicle. To give the reusable orbital vehicle 14 an optimal profile, it is equipped with a nose 28, preferably in the shape of a cap or, more generally, in the shape of a truncated cone with a rounded apex, forming the forward end 24 of the vehicle, as will become clearer in the following sections.

[0028] The reusable orbital vehicle 14 further comprises propulsion means 30, including, for example, one or more rocket engines. These propulsion means 30 are capable, in particular, of generating thrust directed in the nominal direction of travel D1. It should be noted that when the reusable orbital vehicle 14 is installed on the space launcher 12, as illustrated in the Figure 1A , the nose 28 of the reusable orbital vehicle constitutes a forward end of the entire space transportation system 10, while the rear end 26 of the fuselage 22 is located opposite a propulsion stage 16 of the launcher.

[0029] During a typical mission, the complete space transportation system 10 is launched from a launch pad, propelled by the propulsion stage(s) 16. These stages successively cease to function and separate from the space transportation system 10 until the reusable orbital vehicle 14 continues its trajectory and reaches a target orbit, using its propulsion systems 30 as needed to make trajectory adjustments. At the end of the mission, the reusable orbital vehicle 14 uses its propulsion systems 30 to leave its orbit and enter an atmospheric reentry trajectory, enabling it to reach a target landing zone.To this end, means for orienting the reusable orbital vehicle 14, which may, for example, be the propulsion means 30 or movable aerodynamic surfaces, are implemented to orient the reusable orbital vehicle so as to place its fuselage 22 at an angle of incidence that allows the fuselage 22 to generate lift. Throughout this phase, the reusable orbital vehicle presents its nose 28 forward in the direction of its movement, so that the nose 28 contributes to the thermal protection of the reusable orbital vehicle. Upon approaching the target landing zone, the reusable orbital vehicle 14 performs a turning maneuver and then lands with its nose 28 pointing upward and the rear end 26 of the fuselage 22 pointing towards the ground.

[0030] The purpose of this disclosure is, in general, to present means of improving crew rescue procedures in the event of an anomaly during a space mission.

[0031] In this regard, with reference to figures 2-5 The reusable orbital vehicle 14 has a housing 32 surrounded by the fuselage 22 and in which is placed a crew escape vehicle 34, also visible alone on the Figures 6 and 7 such that said crew escape vehicle 34 can detach from the reusable orbital vehicle 14 and perform a flight independently of it. The crew escape vehicle 34 is intended to allow the evacuation of a crew from the reusable orbital vehicle 14 during the ascent phase, but also on the launch pad, before and during liftoff, as well as during the final approach and landing phases and after landing, as will become clearer in what follows.

[0032] At liftoff or on the launch pad, it is particularly advantageous to use such a dedicated crew evacuation vehicle instead of the reusable orbital vehicle itself, since a dedicated evacuation vehicle can be significantly less massive than a reusable orbital vehicle, which must incorporate all the equipment necessary for the crew to perform the various missions in orbit, as well as the equipment and components required for atmospheric reentry. The gain in extraction acceleration afforded by such a mass reduction can prove crucial for rescuing a crew in the event of a space launcher explosion during liftoff or ascent.This gain can also extend the ballistic trajectory of the crew evacuation vehicle, which is advantageous when the area surrounding the launch site does not offer the necessary safety conditions for recovering the vehicle. In some embodiments, the crew evacuation vehicle is thus able to move several kilometers away from the launch site, for example, 3.5 kilometers in one embodiment or 5 kilometers in another, if the evacuation procedure is triggered on the launch site.

[0033] During the final approach and landing phase and after landing, the presence of a dedicated evacuation vehicle makes it possible to consider evacuating the crew in the event of an anomaly on the reusable orbital vehicle, which is obviously not possible in cases where such a dedicated vehicle is not planned and where any possibility of evacuation during the space mission must be done by means of the reusable orbital vehicle itself.

[0034] Compared to the well-known state-of-the-art extraction towers (for example, those of Apollo, Soyuz or Orion), which are positioned entirely in front of an orbital vehicle, housing the crew escape vehicle within the orbital vehicle allows the crew escape vehicle to remain available throughout the mission, whereas extraction towers, which are not adapted to perform atmospheric reentry maneuvers, are generally jettisoned during the ascent phase.

[0035] The crew evacuation vehicle 34 advantageously includes within it a cabin equipped with piloting equipment (not visible in the figures), and means of interfacing this equipment with components and / or equipment of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 (other than those forming part of the crew evacuation vehicle 34), in particular with the propulsion means 30 and where appropriate with the orientation means of the reusable orbital vehicle (if the latter differ from the propulsion means 30), so that the piloting of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 by a crew is carried out within the crew evacuation vehicle 34 by means of said piloting equipment.

[0036] In addition, the crew evacuation vehicle 34 has a fuselage 36 in the general shape of an ogive (i.e. "bullet-shaped" in Anglo-Saxon terminology) defining a nose 38 at one end of the crew evacuation vehicle, called the forward end 39 thereof with regard to a nominal direction of travel D2 of the crew evacuation vehicle. This fuselage 36 extends in the opposite direction to a rear wall 40 which defines a rear end of the fuselage 36. The rear wall 40 extends, for example, transversely to an axis 42 of the crew evacuation vehicle, which constitutes, for example, an axis of symmetry for the fuselage 36. Between the nose 38 and the rear wall 40, the fuselage 36 has, at least in a forward portion of the latter, a slightly flared shape in the direction from the nose 38 to the rear wall 40, in order to best satisfy the area law, as will become clearer in what follows.The fuselage 36 thus defines an elongated aerodynamic profile along the axis 42 of the crew escape vehicle, which therefore defines the longitudinal direction of this vehicle. This shape is optimized to promote the acceleration of the crew escape vehicle in the atmosphere, particularly in the event of a mission abort on the launch pad or during the launch phase, when the speed of the crew escape vehicle's extraction and its removal from the launcher are most critical. The nominal direction of travel D2 of the crew escape vehicle is parallel to the axis 42, as will become clearer in the following sections.

[0037] Finally, the crew evacuation vehicle 34 includes propulsion means 44 attached to its fuselage 36, to allow the extraction of this crew evacuation vehicle 34 from its housing 32 within the reusable orbital vehicle 14, and to allow the possible adjustment of the trajectory of the crew evacuation vehicle, as will become clearer in what follows.

[0038] Furthermore, the reusable orbital vehicle 14 advantageously includes a workspace 46 ( figure 1B ) defined rearward relative to housing 32 and intended to be accessible to the crew during non-critical phases of orbital flight, for example via an airlock 48 into which opens a hatch arranged in the rear wall 40 of the fuselage 36 of the crew evacuation vehicle.

[0039] The landing method of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 is not disclosed herein and may be of a conventional type, for example by means of one or more parachutes to slow the crew evacuation vehicle until it lands on land or at sea, either flat or nose-first.

[0040] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the housing 32 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 extends to a forward extremity of the fuselage 22 of the reusable orbital vehicle, and the crew escape vehicle 34 is arranged in the housing 32 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14, oriented to permit extraction of the crew escape vehicle 34 in the nominal direction of travel D1 of the reusable orbital vehicle. In particular, the crew escape vehicle 34 is arranged so that its nominal direction of travel D2 coincides with the nominal direction of travel D1 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14.

[0041] To this end, the crew escape vehicle 34 is specifically arranged so that its axis 42 extends parallel or substantially parallel to the nominal direction of travel D1 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14, preferably centered along a median longitudinal plane P of the reusable orbital vehicle. In the illustrated embodiment, the axis 42 of the crew escape vehicle coincides with the mean longitudinal axis 27 of the reusable orbital vehicle. Furthermore, the crew escape vehicle 34 is oriented so that its nose 38 is located on the side of the forward end 24 of the reusable orbital vehicle and its rear wall 40 is located on the opposite side, i.e., on the side of the rear end 26 of the fuselage 22.In addition, the propulsion means 44 of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 are advantageously configured to generate thrust directed in the nominal direction of travel D2 of the crew evacuation vehicle 34, and therefore in the direction of the forward end 24 of the reusable orbital vehicle.

[0042] In the preferred example shown, the nose 38 of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 constitutes the nose 28 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14.

[0043] To this end, the fuselage 22 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 includes a fairing 50 (according to Anglo-Saxon terminology) which surrounds the housing 32 of the reusable orbital vehicle and extends flared towards the rear end 26 of this fuselage from a truncated front end 52 ( figures 4 And 5) of the fuselage 22 defining an opening 54 which leads into the housing 32. In addition, the nose 38 of the crew escape vehicle 34 extends through the opening 54 in aerodynamic continuity with the cowling 50. Thus, the crew escape vehicle 34 occupies a space or housing extending to the forward end 24 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14, this space corresponding properly to the housing 32 and the space occupied by the nose 38.

[0044] Such continuity between the nose 38 of the crew evacuation vehicle and the cowling 50 of the fuselage 22 of the reusable orbital vehicle is obtained, for example, by means of a notch 56 formed at the base of the nose 38 in the fuselage 36 of the crew evacuation vehicle, and opposite which is arranged the truncated front end 52 of the cowling 50 ( figures 3 , 6 and 7 ).

[0045] Because the crew evacuation vehicle 34 is generally flared towards the rear, its extraction from the housing 32 requires that a rear portion of the vehicle, wider than the opening 54, collide with the cowling 50 and break it. To facilitate this process and thus optimize the extraction speed of the crew evacuation vehicle, the cowling 50 is designed to promote its fragmentation upon impact with the vehicle. For this purpose, the cowling 50, for example, consists of an annular row of panels joined in pairs by frangible joints 58, creating preferred breaking zones. Three of these panels, 50A-50C, are visible in the figures 2 And 4The cowling 50 extends, for example, rearward to a forward fuselage frame R1 which extends transversely to the axis 42. Beyond the cowling 50 rearward, the fuselage 22 is, for example, formed by a cowling or an assembly of cowlings 51 which may be of a conventional type. figures 2-4 They also allow us to see a rear fuselage frame R2 which also extends transversely to axis 42. Fuselage frames R1 and R2 are intended to stiffen the fuselage in a manner known per se. These frames R1 and R2 are advantageously arranged axially on either side of the location of the center of gravity of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 when the latter is installed in the bay 32. Frames R1 and R2 thus help to limit the effects of imbalance.

[0046] In general, the fact that the extraction of the crew escape vehicle 34 from the reusable orbital vehicle 14 is carried out forwards, in the nominal direction of movement D1 of the reusable orbital vehicle or, where applicable, of the entire space transport system 10, makes this extraction possible not only during the ascent phase but also on the launch pad before takeoff and during the approach, landing phases, and even after landing, insofar as the chances that the reusable orbital vehicle 14 has an attitude compatible with such an extraction are thus maximized (here by attitude we mean the orientation of the vehicle with respect to the Earth's reference frame).A forward extraction on the launch pad or during the ascent phase is particularly advantageous as it generally means that the crew moves in the opposite direction to the danger located at the level of the launcher's propulsion stages 16, therefore below the reusable orbital vehicle 14. This is all the more remarkable as evacuation on the launch pad or during the ascent phase is the case of evacuation requiring the greatest speed of reaction given the generally explosive nature of the danger at this stage.

[0047] To make the evacuation maneuver bearable for the crew in terms of apparent load factor, while also allowing the crew to withstand the thrust inherent in a takeoff, the crew evacuation vehicle includes, for example, seats with adjustable orientation to allow crew members to be oriented so as to feel the thrust in their backs at any critical phase, nominal or not, presenting high load factors, in particular during a possible evacuation using the crew evacuation vehicle 34.

[0048] Furthermore, the fact that the nose 38 of the crew escape vehicle 34 also serves as nose 28 for the reusable orbital vehicle has the added advantage of avoiding the need to break the nose of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 during the extraction of the crew escape vehicle 34 from the reusable orbital vehicle. It is important to understand that during the extraction of the crew escape vehicle 34 from the reusable orbital vehicle 14, the crew escape vehicle carries with it the nose 38, which until then had been serving as nose 28 of the reusable orbital vehicle. This is particularly advantageous since the nose 28 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 constitutes the extreme front part of this vehicle and is therefore particularly subject to thermal heating as well as mechanical stresses during atmospheric reentry.The nose 28 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 must therefore be a particularly thermally and mechanically resistant element and is, for example, more so than the rest of the fuselage 36. Not having to break such an element during an extraction of the crew evacuation vehicle 34, an operation which it is desirable to carry out as quickly as possible, is therefore a considerable advantage.

[0049] Alternatively, the reusable orbital vehicle 14 may nevertheless have a nose 28 distinct from the nose 38 of the crew escape vehicle 34 without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In this case, the fuselage 22 is closed at its forward end so as to define the nose 28 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 in front of the nose 38 of the crew escape vehicle 34. In this case, as in the previous case, the housing 32 extends to the forward end of the fuselage 22, which is defined here by the nose 28 formed by the fuselage 22. It should be noted that, like the space occupied by the crew escape vehicle 34 in the previous case, the housing 32 can here be considered as extending to the forward end 24 of the reusable orbital vehicle 14, regardless of the thickness of the nose 28.

[0050] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, the crew evacuation vehicle 34 includes stabilizing devices 59, and more specifically stabilizing tail fins 60, each of which is movable between a retracted position along the fuselage 36 ( Figures 6 and 7 ) to allow the crew evacuation vehicle 34 to fit into the designated space 32 within the reusable orbital vehicle 14, and a rearward deployed position of the crew evacuation vehicle ( figures 8 and 9 ), in which the stabilizer tail fins 60 are arranged behind the position of a center of gravity GC of the crew evacuation vehicle ( figure 8 ) and allow the generation of a "badminton shuttlecock" effect, also known as the "skirt effect" or "effect shuttlecock.

[0051] The "badminton shuttlecock" effect generally means that the crew evacuation vehicle 34, in ballistic flight, spontaneously orients itself with its nose 38 forward, and thus spontaneously moves in its nominal direction of movement D2.

[0052] The generation of such an aerodynamic effect makes it possible to avoid as much as possible the crew evacuation vehicle, which is not designed to generate lift in flight, from undergoing uncontrolled parasitic movements such as rotational movements around its axis 42, which could be detrimental to the survival of the crew.

[0053] The stabilizer tail fins 60 are preferably evenly distributed around the axis 42 and are, for example, four in number. Configurations with only three - or more than four - of these stabilizer tail fins 60 are also possible.

[0054] With reference to figures 6-9The stabilizer tail fins 60 have respective free first ends 62 and respective second ends 64 by which the stabilizer tail fins 60 are pivotally mounted on the fuselage 36 along respective pivot axes 61, so as to be movable between their retracted and deployed positions. In the retracted position, the second ends 64 are located rearward relative to the first ends 62. Furthermore, the respective first edges 66 of the stabilizer tail fins 60 extend along the external surface of the fuselage 36, and the respective second edges 68 of the tail fins, opposite the first edges 66, are farther from the external surface of the fuselage 36 than are the first edges 66.In the deployed position, the respective first ends 62 of the tail fins are further from the external surface of the fuselage 36 than they are in the retracted position and are located rearward relative to the second ends 64. For this purpose, the pivot axes 61 are advantageously ortho-radial relative to the axis 42 of the crew evacuation vehicle 34.

[0055] The proposed 60 stabilizing tail configuration is particularly remarkable because it allows the "badminton shuttlecock" effect to be achieved over a very wide range of flight speeds, from the subsonic to the hypersonic domain, and thus covering the range of speeds encountered during a space mission with atmospheric reentry.

[0056] The deployment of the stabilizing fins 60 is planned to take place as soon as the crew evacuation vehicle 34 is extracted from its housing 32. To this end, each of the stabilizing fins 60 is, for example, subjected to an elastic means such as a torsion spring 69 (illustrated very schematically on the figure 6 acting around the pivot axis 61 of the tail assembly so as to continuously urge the tail assembly 60 towards its deployed position. Retention means, an example of which will be described below, allow the stabilizing tail assemblies 60 to be kept in their retracted position as long as the crew evacuation vehicle 34 is inside the housing 32.

[0057] In the preferred example shown, the stabilizing devices 59, in particular the respective second edges 68 of the stabilizing tail fins 60, protrude from the fuselage 36 in the retracted position.

[0058] This feature is advantageously used to guide the crew evacuation vehicle 34 during its extraction from the reusable orbital vehicle 14, by means of guidance structures 70 attached to the fuselage 36 and protruding into the housing 32 ( Figures 4, 4A And 5 ) so as to constitute lateral stops vis-à-vis the stabilization devices 59 of the crew evacuation vehicle ( Figures 2, 2A And 3 ). By "lateral stop", we must understand a structure forming an obstacle to a movement of a stabilization device 59 in a direction orthogonal to the mean plane of the stabilization device, that is to say in the ortho-radial direction C, such as a movement resulting from a rotation of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 around its axis 42, as will become clearer in what follows.

[0059] In the preferred example shown, the guide structures 70 respectively comprise rails 72 respectively centered according to planes RP passing through the axis 42 and each having a groove, called the main groove 74 in what follows, which is for example centered according to the corresponding plane RP passing through the axis 42.

[0060] The guide structures 70 are preferably configured to also exert radial support inwards on the second edges 68 of the stabilizing fins 60 of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 so as to contribute in whole or in part to the centering of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 within the housing 32 and to maintaining the stabilizing fins 60 in their retracted position.

[0061] In order to facilitate the movement of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 during its extraction, the contact between the guide structures 70 and the stabilization devices 59 is advantageously exerted by means of rollers.

[0062] In the preferred example shown, the guide structures 70 thus comprise respective first rollers 76 carried by the rails 72, preferably near the front ends of the rails 72. Each of these first rollers 76 projects from a bottom 74A of the corresponding main groove 74 (said bottom being visible on the Figures 2A And 4A ), and each includes, for example, a 76A groove (see the Figures 2A And 4A) in which the second edge 68 of a corresponding stabilizer tail assembly 60 is engaged, such that the flanks of the groove 76A constitute lateral stops vis-à-vis the stabilizer tail assembly 60 conforming to the definition given above, while a bottom of the central groove 76A exerts the aforementioned radial support on the second edge 68 of the tail assembly as explained above, during the crew evacuation vehicle extraction process. Alternatively, the first wheel 76 described above can be replaced by two wheels between which the second edge 68 of a corresponding stabilizer tail assembly 60 is sandwiched.Such an arrangement advantageously implements a wedge effect between the aforementioned first wheels and the sides of the tail assembly 60, taking advantage of the radial outward stress on the tail assembly 60 by the aforementioned elastic means and of the slightly flared nature of the tail assembly 60 radially inward from the second edge 68.

[0063] In addition, the stabilization devices 59 include second casters 78 ( Figures 6 and 7 ), located behind the first casters 76 when the crew evacuation vehicle 34 is installed in the housing 32. These second casters 78 are arranged to engage in lateral grooves 80 formed by the rails 72 and adjacent to the main grooves 74 ( Figures 2A And 4A ). Each lateral groove 80 is defined by a bottom 80A and by two lateral ribs 80B, 80C.

[0064] For example, each stabilizing tail assembly 60 is associated with two second wheels 78 arranged on each side of the tail assembly, for example near the rear ends of the latter, and engaged respectively in the two lateral grooves 80 of the corresponding rail 72.

[0065] The lateral ribs 80B, 80C of the lateral grooves 80 thus constitute lateral stops vis-à-vis the stabilizing tail assembly 60 conforming to the definition given above, while the respective bottoms 80A of the lateral grooves 80 form rolling tracks for the second wheels 78 and thus contribute to the centering of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 within the housing 32.

[0066] During the extraction of the crew evacuation vehicle 34, the second wheels 78 follow the advance of the crew evacuation vehicle by rolling against the respective bottoms 80A of the lateral grooves 80, and finally exit the lateral grooves 80 through their forward ends. This arrangement thus prevents any interference between the first wheels 76, fixed relative to the reusable orbital vehicle 14 and positioned in the central groove 74 of each rail 72, and the second wheels 78 carried by the crew evacuation vehicle 34 and offset laterally relative to the first wheels 76, for example, by being positioned in the lateral grooves 80 of each rail 72.

[0067] In the preferred example shown, the stabilization devices 59 respectively comprise fixed structures 90, extending, for example, longitudinally and projecting radially from the fuselage 36 of this vehicle. These fixed structures 90 define grooves 92 ( figures 8 and 9) in which the respective first edges 66 of the stabilizer tail fins 60 are housed in the retracted position. These fixed structures 90 are further advantageously streamlined to contribute to the aerodynamic stabilization of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 in combination with the stabilizer tail fins 60 in the deployed position. In addition, the fixed structures 90 stiffen the fuselage 36, which is particularly advantageous given the high mechanical stresses that the fuselage must withstand during an extraction maneuver of the crew evacuation vehicle. Finally, the fixed structures 90 advantageously have a tapered shape towards the front of the crew evacuation vehicle 34, for example in the radial and circumferential directions, so as to contribute to the crew evacuation vehicle's compliance with the area law.

[0068] In the illustrated example, the second casters 78 are supported by the fixed structures 90.

[0069] According to another aspect of this disclosure, the reusable orbital vehicle 14 includes a deflector collar 100 (“baffle skirt”) of generally annular shape flared towards the rear, for example substantially frustoconical, extending within the housing 32 so as to surround the fuselage 36 of the crew escape vehicle 34 when the latter is housed therein, being arranged rearward with respect to the propulsion means 44 attached to the fuselage 36 of the crew escape vehicle, and axially opposite said propulsion means 44. For this purpose, the propulsion means 44, which are for example made up of several rocket engines, are arranged in a forward part of the fuselage 36, preferably rearward and near the base of the nose 38.

[0070] The deflector flange 100 thus deflects the gas jets produced by the propulsion systems 44 at the beginning of a crew escape vehicle extraction maneuver, thereby protecting the reusable orbital vehicle 14 and ensuring its mechanical and structural integrity. During such a maneuver, the overall flared shape of the crew escape vehicle 34 towards the rear means that at least a rear portion of the vehicle will collide with a radially internal part of the deflector flange 100, causing it to fragment. The deflector flange 100 is therefore designed to facilitate such fragmentation, for example, by means of preferred breaking zones defined at the junctions between the panels constituting the flange, in a manner analogous to what is described above with regard to the cowling 50.

[0071] In the illustrated example, the deflector collar 100 has a rear end connected to the front fuselage frame R1. The front fuselage frame R1 thus allows, in particular, to absorb the forces induced by the deflection of the gas jets produced by the propulsion means 44.

[0072] In the illustrated example, the stabilizing tail fins 60 extend forward beyond the deflector flange 100. The latter is thus provided with elongated openings 102 in the radial direction R, through which extend forward end portions of the tail fins 60 ( Figures 2A And 4A ).

[0073] Alternatively, the propulsion means 44 may be arranged in a rear part of the crew evacuation vehicle 34 without departing from the general scope of this disclosure.

[0074] In light of the above, it must be understood that a crew evacuation procedure for a reusable orbital vehicle 14 of the type described above generally comprises steps consisting of: A) Install the crew of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 in the crew escape vehicle 34; this step A may correspond to the initial installation of the crew in the reusable orbital vehicle 14 before liftoff, particularly in the case where the evacuation takes place during liftoff or during the ascent phase; in the case where the evacuation takes place in a later phase of a space mission, step A may in particular consist, for the crew, of returning to the crew escape vehicle 34 after having stayed in another part of the reusable orbital vehicle 14 such as the workspace 46; B) Evacuate the crew by moving the crew escape vehicle 34 in said direction D1 so as to extract it from the accommodation; step B may be implemented during any of the liftoff, ascent, end of atmospheric reentry, final approach, landing and post-landing phases of a space mission.

[0075] If necessary, as explained above, the crew evacuation vehicle 34 carries with it the nose 28 of the reusable orbital vehicle during stage B.

[0076] If necessary, as explained above, the crew evacuation vehicle 34 causes the rupture of said frangible links 58 during step B.

[0077] If applicable, as explained above, the crew evacuation vehicle 34 causes the rupture of said deflector collar 100 during step B.

[0078] If necessary, as explained above, the stabilizing tail fins 60 move during step B, from said retracted position to said deployed position.

[0079] Where applicable, as explained above, the crew evacuation vehicle 34 is prevented from rotating around its axis 42 by said guidance structures 70 during step B.

Claims

1. Reusable orbital vehicle (14) for a space transport system (10), comprising a fuselage (22) with a shape splayed in a direction going from a front end (24) of the reusable orbital vehicle as far as a rear end (26) of said fuselage (22) and within which a housing (32) is defined extending as far as the front end (24) of the reusable orbital vehicle (14), and a crew-evacuation vehicle (34) housed in said housing (32) while being oriented so as to be extracted from the housing (32) in a direction (D1) oriented from said rear end (26) of the fuselage (22) towards said front end (24) of the reusable orbital vehicle (14).

2. Reusable orbital vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: - said fuselage (22) comprises a fairing (50) that surrounds the housing (32) and extends so as to be splayed in the direction of the rear end (26) of this fuselage (22) from a front end (52) of the fuselage (22), which is truncated so as to define an opening (54) emerging in the housing (32); and - the crew-evacuation vehicle (34) comprises a fuselage (36) that has a nose (38) extending through the opening (54) so as to constitute a nose (28) of the reusable orbital vehicle (14).

3. Reusable orbital vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said nose (38) extends in aerodynamic continuity with the fairing (50).

4. Reusable orbital vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fuselage (36) of the crew-evacuation vehicle (34) has a step (56) formed at the base of said nose (38), and wherein the front end (52) of the fairing (50) is arranged axially facing said step (56).

5. Reusable orbital vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the fairing (50) is formed by an annular row of panels (50A-50C) joined in pairs by frangible connections (58) constituting preferred rupture zones.

6. Reusable orbital vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a baffle skirt (100) with a roughly frustoconical shape, extending within the housing (32) so as to surround the crew-evacuation vehicle (34) and to be disposed at the rear and axially facing with respect to propulsion means (44) of the crew-evacuation vehicle configured to generate a thrust in said direction (D1).

7. Method for evacuating a crew of a reusable orbital vehicle (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising steps consisting in: - A) installing the crew of the reusable orbital vehicle (14) in the crew-evacuation vehicle (34); then - B) evacuating the crew by moving the crew-evacuation vehicle (34) in said direction (D1) so as to extract it out of the housing (32).

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the reusable orbital vehicle (14) is in accordance with claim 2, by means of which the crew-evacuation vehicle (34) takes with it the nose (28) of the reusable orbital vehicle during the step B.

9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the reusable orbital vehicle (14) is in accordance with claim 5, and wherein the crew-evacuation vehicle (34) causes the rupture of said frangible connections (58) during the step B.

10. Method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the reusable orbital vehicle (14) is in accordance with claim 6, and wherein the crew-evacuation vehicle (34) causes the rupture of said baffle skirt (100) during the step B.

11. Method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the step B is performed during any one of the takeoff, ascent, end of atmosphere re-entry, final approach, landing and post-landing phases.