公开(公告)号：US20230034258A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-02

申请号：US17386189

申请日：2021-07-27

申请人： Fenix Space, Inc.

发明人： Michael J. Gallo ,  Gregory M. Cole

IPC分类号： B64G1/00 ,  B64D3/00 ,  B64D5/00 ,  B64C31/02

摘要： A launch system and method for orbital or suborbital air-launch of a payload involving releasably coupling a launch vehicle with a towed aircraft via an articulatable carriage to form an air-launch assembly, towing the air-launch assembly via a tow aircraft and interconnected tow cable to a first altitude, releasing the air-launch assembly from tow at or above the first altitude, activating the towed aircraft propulsion system and initiating a pull-up and climb maneuver of the towed aircraft to a second altitude, articulating the articulatable carriage to shift the air-launch assembly from a stowed position to a deployed position with the launch vehicle spaced from the towed aircraft, releasing the launch vehicle from the articulatable carriage and thus from the towed aircraft, and activating the launch vehicle propulsion system for further altitude gain or to meet specific mission requirements.

公开(公告)号：US20220009632A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-13

申请号：US17328817

申请日：2021-05-24

申请人： Fenix Space, Inc.

发明人： Michael J. Gallo

IPC分类号： B64D3/00 ,  B64C31/02 ,  B64D1/10 ,  B64D1/12

摘要： A tow cable system and method of use wherein, in the context of towed flight of a glider behind an aircraft, positive load or tension of the cable therebetween is achieved through one or more of cable design and material selection, cable pre-tensioning, in-flight cable tensioning, and/or load dampening device(s), and the related interplay of such various components or sub-systems of the overall tow cable system.