79 results about "Space vehicle" patented technology

A space vehicle or spaceship is a rocket-powered vehicle used to transport robotic spacecraft or human carrying vehicles between the Earth's surface and outer space. The earliest space vehicles were expendable launch systems, consisting of rocket launch vehicles carrying spacecraft payloads (satellites or human-bearing space capsules) which were relatively small portions of the total vehicle size and mass. The single or multistage rocket without the payload is referred to as a launch vehicle. Most space vehicles in production use are expendable systems, although reusable launch systems have been envisioned since the late 1960s.