Repeating ground track orbits for a reusable launch vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025171165-A1
Application number	US-202519037672-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 27, 2025
Priority date	Mar 7, 2023
Publication date	May 29, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods for a reusable space vehicle to land at substantially the same location as its launching site. The vehicle traveling in a particular orbit, which is a repeating ground track orbit, allows for launching and landing at the same location once per day. The repeating ground track orbits that allow for launching and landing at the same location once per day overfly the launch and landing site once per day. Launching and landing at the same site provides a number of direct advantages. For example, the just-landed vehicle may be transported a relatively short distance to the launch site, reconditioned relatively quickly, and be ready for a quick turn-around launch.

First claim

We claim as follows:

1 . A method of launching and landing a multi-use space vehicle, the method comprising:
launching from a launch site on earth to a target orbit; maneuvering to the target orbit; maneuvering to a repeating ground track orbit; evaluating real-time landing conditions for a plurality of predesignated landing sites; selecting one of the landing sites based on the evaluated landing conditions; maneuvering to deorbit from the repeating ground track orbit; and landing at the selected landing site.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein maneuvering to the repeating ground track orbit from the target orbit involves exactly two thrust operations.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the repeating ground track orbit lies substantially over the launch site.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-use space vehicle following the repeating ground track orbit flies substantially over the launch site once per day.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising delaying the maneuvering of the deorbit until landing conditions at the selected landing site meet predefined safety criteria.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising entering the repeating ground track orbit at a particular time that is based, at least in part, on the selected landing site.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the repeating ground track orbit provides the multi-use space vehicle a window once per day to receive a chaser vehicle launched from Earth for rendezvous.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-use space vehicle in the repeating ground track orbit provides a second space vehicle a window once per day to launch from Earth for rendezvous with the multi-use space vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injection directly into the repeating ground track orbit for the purposes of rendezvous with another space vehicle increases performance by minimizing the number of maneuvers required to position the multi-use space vehicle for the deorbit.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injection directly into the repeating ground track orbit for the purposes of rendezvous with another space vehicle deterministically enables a fast rendezvous.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target orbit is at an inclination in a range between about 25°-55°.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target orbit is higher than the repeating ground track orbit.

13 . A method of launching and landing a multi-use space vehicle, the method comprising:
identifying a target orbit and a launch site; calculating maneuvers for transitioning from the target orbit to at least one repeating ground track orbit; monitoring weather for launch conditions to determine a favorable window for launch; launching the multi-use space vehicle from the launch site to the target orbit; using the calculated maneuvers to transition the multi-use space vehicle from the target orbit to a repeating ground track orbit of the at least one repeating ground track orbit; evaluating real-time landing conditions for a plurality of predesignated landing sites; selecting one of the landing sites based on the evaluated landing conditions; maneuvering to deorbit from the repeating ground track orbit; and landing at the selected landing site.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the repeating ground track orbit lies substantially over the launch site.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one repeating ground track orbit is selected based, at least in part, on monitored weather for launch and landing conditions.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the multi-use space vehicle following the repeating ground track orbit orbits the Earth 15 or 16 times from a first pass over the launch site to a second pass over the launch site.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the repeating ground track orbit provides the multi-use space vehicle a window once per day to land substantially at the launch site.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the repeating ground track orbit provides the multi-use space vehicle a window once per day to receive a chaser vehicle launched from Earth for rendezvous once per day.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising entering the repeating ground track orbit at a particular time that is based, at least in part, on the selected landing site.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising delaying the maneuvering of the deorbit until landing conditions at the selected landing site meet predefined safety criteria.

Assignees

• Blue Origin Mfg Llc

Inventors

• Wuerl Adam Michael
• Kupec Quinn Robert White

Classifications

• B64G1/14 Primary

  Space shuttles {(reusable launch rockets B64G1/006)} · CPC title

• B64G1/242

  Orbits and trajectories · CPC title

• B64G1/002

  Launch systems · CPC title

• B64G1/2427

  Transfer orbits · CPC title

• B64G1/646 Primary

  Docking or rendezvous systems (refuelling in space B64G1/4024) · CPC title