Rocket Recovery Fixture Inversion for Landing Gear Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional rocket landing systems are heavy, costly, and complex, with 'landing gear' typically located below the rocket engines, which complicates the recovery and reuse process.
Innovation Solution
A rocket landing system featuring a flexible, horizontally suspended recovery fixture, such as a line or chain, that engages a capture device above the rocket's center of gravity, allowing for a more reliable and efficient landing by using winches to manage the line's tension and position for secure capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional landing gear located below the rocket engines is used, then the rocket can land vertically on the ground, but the system becomes heavy, costly, and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional landing gear location from below the rocket engines to above the rocket engines. The capture device is positioned on the upper structure of the rocket, allowing the rocket to engage with a recovery fixture during landing. This inversion eliminates the need for complex landing gear mechanisms while maintaining landing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the landing function from the traditional landing gear system and relocates it to a separate capture device on the rocket upper structure. This separation allows the main rocket body to remain simpler while the capture device handles the landing engagement independently.
2Reliability
If traditional landing gear located below the rocket engines is used, then the rocket can land vertically, but the weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the landing mechanism location to the upper rocket structure, the patent eliminates heavy landing gear components that would otherwise be required below the engines. The capture device uses minimal structure to engage the recovery fixture, significantly reducing overall rocket weight.
3Device complexity
If capture device is located above the rocket center of gravity, then the landing system becomes simpler and lighter, but the landing mechanism becomes unconventional
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately inverts the conventional landing configuration by placing the capture device above the center of gravity rather than below. This unconventional approach simplifies the overall system while the capture device is designed to work specifically with the recovery fixture, making the system highly adaptable for its intended recovery operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A generally vertical rocket (2) flies generally horizontally into recovery line, cable or chain (3) suspended between towers (5, 7) of a catamaran landing ship (9). High speed winches (11, 13), preferably located near or at the tops of the towers (5, 7) can rapidly reel in or out the recovery line (3) to effectively raise or lower the recovery line (3). The fixture engages a capture device on the rocket located usually above the rocket center of gravity. This invention provides a more reliable means of landing a rocket and also eliminates rocket weight, cost and complexity associated with previous means of landing a rocket.