System and Method for Air Launch from a Towed Aircraft

Budd, Gerald D [Inventor]

关键词: AIR LAUNCHING;    GLIDERS;    LAUNCH VEHICLES;    ROCKET LAUNCHERS;    HIGH ALTITUDE;    REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES;    PATENTS;   

RP-ID  :  US-Patent-9,944,410, US-Patent-Appl-SN-15/046,789

学科分类：航空航天科学

美国|英语

来源: NASA Technical Reports Server

【 摘 要 】

The invention is a system and method of air launching a powered launch vehicle into space or high altitude. More specifically, the invention is a tow aircraft which tows an unpowered glider, with the powered launch vehicle attached thereto, to launch altitude. The powered launch vehicle is released from the unpowered glider and powered on for launch.