METHOD OF LAUNCHING LAUNCH VEHICLE INTO TRAJECTORY OF PAYLOAD IN SPACE Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: aerospace engineering; method of injection of payloads by means of space and rocket systems. SUBSTANCE: proposed method consists in performing hump maneuver of accelerating aircraft. Separation of launch vehicle is effected at supersonic speed under action of aerodynamic forces and small-sized droppable engines. During subsequent passive flight of launch vehicle, its heading is changed. Simultaneously with completion of hump maneuver, aircraft heading is changed away from launch vehicle trajectory. Engines are started at safe distance from aircraft. According to another version, launch vehicle is separated at subsonic speed only under action of aerodynamic forces and launch vehicle heading is not changed. EFFECT: enhanced safety of air start of launch vehicle; reduced losses of kinetic energy of launch vehicle at passive flight after separation from accelerating aircraft. 3 cl, 2 dwg