RECOVERABLE ROCKET POD Russian patent published in 1996 - IPC

FIELD: rocketry. SUBSTANCE: rocket pod provides for steady controllable flight at supersonic and subsonic speeds, return to launching position and landing at area of limited sizes at low horizontal and vertical velocity. Recoverable rocket pod has housing with propellant tanks, rocket propulsion plant, aerodynamic surfaces, turbo-jet engines and landing device. Rocket pod is provided with combined arrangement of turbo-jet engines through mounting them in nose section (cruising engines) and in area of center of masses (landing engines) shifted towards aft portion relative to center of masses. Turbo-jet engines are provided with device for control of thrust vector in space. Axes of cruising engines lie in direction of longitudinal axis of rocket pod and axes of landing engines lie in direction close to transverse axis of rocket pod. Aerodynamic surfaces are made in form of cantilever monoplanes located in area of center of masses and stabilizers in aft portion. Stabilizers are made in form of foldable grid panels provided with turning devices. Each panel of stabilizer is so constructed that follows form of surface of rocket pod aft portion when folded. Landing device is made in form of single-strut retractable ski with shock-absorber in aft portion of rocket pod. Mounted on monoplane cantilevers symmetrically relative to longitudinal axis of rocket pod are two retractable parking supports; retractable bearing strut with shock absorber is mounted in nose section of rocket pod. Landing turbo-jet engines are located inside monoplane cantilevers. Device for control of position of thrust vector of turbo-jet engines in space is made in form of swivelling nozzles. Contact surface of ski is provided with friction coating. EFFECT: ability of recoverable rocket pod to return through considerable distances to launching position and to perform vertical landing at small areas. 10 cl, 4 dwg