US-12617557-B2 - System for receiving a descending rocket on a semisubmersible vessel using a suspended cable

Abstract

Systems and methods for receiving a descending rocket, which may be at sea. The rocket may descend vertically with the nose higher than the nozzle. The rocket body may be angled as it descends. A boom arm with hooks may extend at an angle to the rocket body to engage a cable suspended by a semisubmersible platform at sea. The platform may include a dampened cable and lateral straps for securing and rotating the rocket into a horizontal orientation. The platform may receive a ship and purge water to elevate the platform for placing the horizontal rocket onto the ship.

Inventors

• Emmanuel John Grillos, II
• Richard Donovan Jones

Assignees

• Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240820

Claims (19)

1. 1 . A system for receiving a descending rocket, the system comprising: a vessel; a cable suspended by the vessel and configured to engage an upper portion of the descending rocket and suspend the rocket therefrom; and a strap supported by the vessel, wherein the strap is configured to stabilize a lower portion of the suspended rocket and to decrease in length to cause the suspended rocket to rotate toward a horizontal orientation, wherein the cable is configured to increase in length as the strap decreases in length.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the strap is configured to stretch in response to a force applied to the strap by the suspended rocket.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises a semisubmersible vessel at sea, the semisubmersible vessel configured to receive and purge seawater to, respectively, lower and raise the semisubmersible vessel in a vertical direction.
4. 4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first rail comprising a first end and a second end and a second rail comprising a first end and a second end, wherein ends of the strap are moveably connected to the first rail and the second rail.
5. 5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the cable is configured to increase in length and the strap is configured to decrease in length after the ends of the strap have moved along the first rail and the second rail.
6. 6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the vessel comprises a semisubmersible vessel at sea, the semisubmersible vessel configured to receive and purge seawater to, respectively, lower and raise the semisubmersible vessel in a vertical direction.
7. 7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the strap is configured to partially surround the lower portion of the suspended rocket when a first end of the strap moves from the first end to the second end of the first rail and a second end of the strap moves from the first end to the second end of the second rail.
8. 8 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising a second strap supported by the vessel, the second strap configured to stabilize the lower portion of the suspended rocket.
9. 9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the strap is configured to apply a first force on the lower portion of the rocket in a first direction and the second strap is configured to apply a second force on the lower portion of the rocket in a second direction approximately opposite to the first direction.
10. 10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the second strap is configured to partially surround the lower portion of the suspended rocket when a first end of the second strap moves from the second end to the first end of the first rail and a second end of the second strap moves from the second end to the first end of the second rail.
11. 11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first end of the second strap is configured to move to the second end of the first rail and the second end of the second strap is configured to move to the second end of the second rail before the strap decreases in length.
12. 12 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a damping system configured to dampen forces on the cable due to the upper portion of the descending rocket engaging the cable.
13. 13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the damping system comprises: a spool with the cable partially wrapped thereon and configured to pay out the cable to allow the cable to lengthen; and a piston attached to the cable and located at least partially in a sea water-filled chamber.
14. 14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the strap is configured to decrease in length until the rocket is in a substantially horizontal orientation.
15. 15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the strap is configured to increase in length and the cable is configured to increase in length to lower the rocket in the substantially horizontal orientation onto a transport ship.
16. 16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the vessel is configured to be maintained at a first draft as the upper portion of the descending rocket engages the cable, and wherein the vessel is configured to be maintained at a second draft as the rocket is lowered onto the transport ship in the substantially horizontal orientation.
17. 17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cable is configured to engage the upper portion of the descending rocket by engaging at least one hook arranged on an arm of the descending rocket.
18. 18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the cable is configured to engage the at least one hook when the arm is in a non-vertical orientation relative to a body of the rocket.
19. 19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the cable is configured to suspend the rocket when the arm has rotated to a substantially vertical orientation relative to a body of the rocket.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/660,809, filed Apr. 26, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND Field of the Invention The technology relates to rockets, in particular to vertical landing of rockets. Description of the Related Art Single use rockets for placing objects into orbit are a significant cost for typical space missions. There is a need for improved systems for returning rockets to earth for reuse on multiple missions. SUMMARY Various embodiments of systems, methods, and devices within the scope of the appended claims each have several aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes described herein. Without limiting the scope of the appended claims, some prominent features are described herein. Disclosed herein are systems and methods for receiving a descending reusable launch vehicle (may also be referred to herein as a rocket). Systems and methods disclosed herein may be used to receive a rocket at sea and position the rocket onto a ship for return to a launch site. Advantageously, the disclosed approach negates the need for heavy landing gear in reusable rocket systems, in favor of lighter weight boom arms, among other advantages. Additionally, the disclosed approach may allow for a more efficient and rapid method to stabilize and/or reorient a landed rocket. Systems and methods disclosed herein may be used to receive a rocket in a land-based system and position the rocket onto a vessel, such as a land-based transport, for return to a base or other site. In one aspect, a system for receiving a descending rocket at sea is provided. The system includes a semisubmersible vessel includes supports spaced apart to define a ship receiving space. The semisubmersible vessel is configured to receive and purge seawater to, respectively, lower and raise the supports in a direction along a z-axis of the system, and to receive a ship moving in a direction along a y-axis of the system into the ship receiving space. The system also includes first and second towers, each extending vertically from a respective support. Upper portions of each tower are configured to be located above sea level and spaced apart a distance measured along an x-axis of the system to define therebetween an upper portion of a rocket receiving space. The system further includes a cable configured to be suspended between the first and second towers and extend across the upper portion of the rocket receiving space. The cable is configured to engage an attachment of the descending rocket to decelerate and suspend the rocket in a substantially vertical orientation thereon in the rocket receiving space. The system also includes a first rail and a second rail, each rail extending from a first end to a second end in a direction along the y-axis of the system above sea level. The first rail and the second rail are spaced apart a distance measured along the x-axis of the system to define therebetween a lower portion of the rocket receiving space. The system further includes a strap extending in a direction along the x-axis of the system across the lower portion of the rocket receiving space. The strap includes a first end movably coupled to a first end of the first rail. The strap further includes a second end movably coupled to the first end of the second rail. The strap is configured to partially surround and stabilize a lower portion of the suspended rocket when the first end of the strap moves along the first rail to the second end of the first rail and the second end of the strap moves along the second rail to the second end of the second rail. The cable is configured to lengthen with the suspended rocket thereon, and the length of the strap between the first end and the second end is configured to shorten as the cable is lengthened with the suspended rocket thereon, such that the rocket is rotated into a substantially horizontal orientation for lowering onto the ship. The system can also include a second strap extending in a direction along the x-axis of the system across the lower portion of the rocket receiving space. The second strap can include a first end movably coupled to a second end of the first rail. The he second strap can further include a second end movably coupled to the second end of the second rail. The second strap can be configured to partially surround and stabilize a lower portion of the suspended rocket when the first end of the second strap moves along the first rail to the first end of the first rail and the second end of the strap moves along the second rail to the first end of the second rail. The system can also include a deballasting system configured to deballast sea water from the semisubmersible vessel to decrease a draft of the vessel from a first draft to a second draft. The semisubmersible vessel can be configured to be maintained at the first draft as