Forward-Extracted Crew Escape Vehicle for Reusable Orbiters

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing space transport systems face challenges in efficiently evacuating a crew during various phases of a mission, including launch, ascent, and re-entry, due to the mass and orientation limitations of reusable orbital vehicles, and the danger posed by traditional rescue capsules.

Innovation Solution

A reusable orbital vehicle design incorporating a crew-evacuation vehicle housed within the fuselage, oriented for forward extraction, allowing evacuation during all mission phases, with a dedicated fuselage and propulsion system, and featuring frangible connections and a baffle skirt for rapid separation, along with stabilizing fins for controlled flight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the reusable orbital vehicle uses traditional rescue capsules for crew evacuation, then the crew can be evacuated during the approach phase, but the evacuation is limited to specific phases and presents danger when the orbital vehicle is not suitably oriented

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrew evacuation safetyVSAvoidevacuation phase flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of extracting the crew-evacuation vehicle from the rear of the fuselage (traditional approach), the patent inverts the extraction direction to forward extraction through the nose. This allows evacuation during all mission phases including launch, ascent, and re-entry, as the orbital vehicle maintains compatible attitude for forward extraction throughout the mission, eliminating the orientation limitations of traditional rear extraction methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If the reusable orbital vehicle has great mass to accommodate all mission equipment, then the vehicle can perform complete missions, but the speed of crew evacuation is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemission capabilityVSAvoidcrew evacuation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the orbital vehicle into two independent parts: the reusable orbital vehicle for mission operations and the separate crew-evacuation vehicle for emergency extraction. The crew-evacuation vehicle has dedicated propulsion means and is much lighter than the full orbital vehicle, enabling rapid acceleration and high-speed extraction during emergencies without compromising the orbital vehicle's mission-capable mass

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The crew-evacuation vehicle is extracted from the housing within the fuselage during emergency situations. This extracted configuration allows the lightweight evacuation vehicle with its dedicated propulsion system to achieve high acceleration speeds for rapid crew extraction, independent of the heavy orbital vehicle's mass limitations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If the crew-evacuation vehicle is extracted from the rear of the fuselage, then the extraction mechanism is simpler, but the evacuation is limited to specific mission phases and orientations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveextraction mechanism complexityVSAvoidevacuation phase flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional extraction direction from rear-to-front to front-to-rear extraction through the nose. This forward extraction approach through the truncated nose allows the orbital vehicle to maintain compatible attitude for extraction throughout all mission phases, significantly increasing evacuation flexibility despite the added complexity of the extraction mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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

Enables safe and efficient crew evacuation at any stage of the mission, reducing mass-related acceleration gains and avoiding damage to the orbital vehicle's nose, while ensuring controlled flight and rapid extraction from potentially dangerous situations.

Implementation Method 1

propulsion means of the crew-evacuation vehicle configured to generate a thrust in said direction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThrust: Rocket

Implementation Method 2

the fairing is formed by an annular row of panels joined in pairs by frangible connections constituting preferred rupture zones

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFracture: Fracture Mechanics

Implementation Method 3

along with stabilizing fins for controlled flight

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAerodynamic stability: Aerofoil

Data Source

PatentUS20260008567A1Reusable orbital vehicle comprising a crew-evacuation vehicle for forward extraction

Publication Date: 2026.01.08 ARIANEGRP SAS

AI summary

A reusable orbital vehicle for a space transport system including a fuselage with a shape splayed in a direction going from a front end of the reusable orbital vehicle as far as a rear end of said fuselage and within which a housing is defined, and a crew-evacuation vehicle housed in said housing while being oriented so as to be extracted from the housing in a direction oriented from said rear end of the fuselage towards said front end of the reusable orbital vehicle.