Articulatable Carriage for Safe Air-Launch Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Challenges exist in optimizing the air-launch of a launch vehicle from a towed aircraft, particularly in safely separating the launch vehicle from the towed aircraft at the desired altitude and orientation while avoiding recontact, which can be catastrophic due to aerodynamic influences and decoupling dynamics.
Innovation Solution
A launch system comprising a towed aircraft with a throttleable propulsion system, a launch vehicle with its own propulsion system, and an articulatable carriage that shifts the launch vehicle between a stowed and deployed position, minimizing aerodynamic effects and ensuring precise alignment and initial velocity differential for safe separation and launch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the launch vehicle is kept adjacent to the towed aircraft in a stowed position during tow and climb, then drag is reduced and aerodynamic stability is improved, but aerodynamic forces may cause the two bodies to draw together creating recontact risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an articulatable carriage that can dynamically shift the launch vehicle between a stowed position (adjacent to the towed aircraft) and a deployed position (spaced away). During tow and climb phases, the carriage maintains the launch vehicle in the stowed position to minimize drag. Prior to release, the carriage articulates to deploy the launch vehicle, creating longitudinal spacing that generates beneficial aerodynamic repelling forces to prevent recontact after separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary deployment of the launch vehicle from the stowed position before actual release from the towed aircraft. This preliminary action creates the necessary longitudinal velocity differential and spacing between the two bodies, ensuring that aerodynamic forces will push them apart rather than draw them together after separation, thereby preventing catastrophic recontact.
2Reliability
If the launch vehicle is deployed away from the towed aircraft before release, then aerodynamic repelling forces prevent recontact, but drag increases and alignment precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The articulatable carriage provides dynamic positioning capability, allowing the launch vehicle to be placed in the deployed position only when needed for separation safety. During the energy-efficient tow and climb phases, the launch vehicle remains in the low-drag stowed position. The carriage can articulate to deploy the launch vehicle shortly before release, minimizing the time spent in the higher-drag deployed position while still achieving the safety benefits.
3Loss of energy
If the launch vehicle is released directly from the stowed position, then drag is minimized throughout flight, but aerodynamic forces may draw the two bodies together causing recontact
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by deploying the launch vehicle from the stowed position before release. This deployment creates longitudinal spacing between the towed aircraft and launch vehicle, which generates aerodynamic repelling forces that counteract the natural aerodynamic attraction that would otherwise draw the two bodies together after release, preventing catastrophic recontact.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulatable carriage acts as an intermediary mechanism that controls the relative positioning of the launch vehicle and towed aircraft. By articulating to deploy the launch vehicle, the carriage mediates the interaction between the two bodies, ensuring proper spacing and alignment are achieved before release to prevent harmful aerodynamic attraction.
4Speed
If the towed aircraft performs pull-up and climb maneuvers, then payload delivery to higher altitude is enabled, but aerodynamic influences and decoupling dynamics increase separation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The articulatable carriage performs preliminary deployment of the launch vehicle before the towed aircraft executes pull-up and climb maneuvers. This preliminary action establishes the necessary longitudinal velocity differential and spacing between the two bodies, simplifying the separation control during subsequent dynamic maneuvers. The pre-established spacing ensures that aerodynamic forces will assist rather than complicate the separation process during pull-up and climb.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables safe and efficient separation of the launch vehicle from the towed aircraft, reducing adverse aerodynamic forces and ensuring precise flight paths, allowing for successful air-launch of payloads to higher altitudes.
Implementation Method 1
the propulsion system is activated to air-launch the launch vehicle and deliver the payload to higher altitude
Implementation Method 2
reducing adverse aerodynamic forces and ensuring precise flight paths
Data Source
AI summary
A launch system and method for orbital or suborbital air-launch of a payload involving releasably coupling a launch vehicle with a towed aircraft via an articulatable carriage to form an air-launch assembly, towing the air-launch assembly via a tow aircraft and interconnected tow cable to a first altitude, releasing the air-launch assembly from tow at or above the first altitude, activating the towed aircraft propulsion system and initiating a pull-up and climb maneuver of the towed aircraft to a second altitude, articulating the articulatable carriage to shift the air-launch assembly from a stowed position to a deployed position with the launch vehicle spaced from the towed aircraft, releasing the launch vehicle from the articulatable carriage and thus from the towed aircraft, and activating the launch vehicle propulsion system for further altitude gain or to meet specific mission requirements.