DESCENT VEHICLE WITH LOAD-BEARING CASE AND METHOD OF LANDING SUCH VEHICLE Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: rocketry and space engineering; designing and manufacturing spacecraft. SUBSTANCE: proposed descent vehicle includes load- bearing case with nose and aft parts, parachute system, descent vehicle control and unit for sealing-up the vehicle. Case is made in form of sectional hermetic compartment with lower load-bearing part articulated with nose part and connected with hermetic compartment by means of telescopic rods-limiters for angular turn of lower load-bearing part in plane of symmetry of vehicle relative to nose part. Located between lower part of case and hermetic compartment is vehicle shock-absorbing unit; pressing engine is mounted on aft part of case. Shock-absorbing unit is made in form of inflatable reservoirs located symmetrically relative to plane of symmetry of vehicle and provided with pressure supply and control system; pressing engine is made in form of solid-propellant rocket engine. Landing of descent vehicle includes introducing parachute system into flow, stabilization of vehicle, separation of parachute system at touch-down. After introducing parachute system, descent vehicle is turned along velocity vector by means of descent vehicle control and lower part of case is deflected in plane of symmetry through preset angle at inflation of reservoirs; at touch-down pressing engine is switched on at simultaneous separation of parachute system. EFFECT: enhanced reliability; enhanced stability of landing; simplified functioning. 4 cl, 3 dwg