Direct Flight Far Space Shuttle

Abstract

A vehicle and method for enabling propulsive flight from suborbital altitudes and velocities directly to far space, or beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), preferably without requiring injection into or refueling in LEO. The vehicle is preferably reusable and can withstand re-entry speeds and temperatures higher than those that are typical for LEO vehicles. The vehicle preferably lands horizontally, for example on a runway. The vehicle forms the upper stage of a booster vehicle system which can be launched either from the ground or from a subsonic air platform. The vehicle may optionally be used for LEO missions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A reusable upper stage of a space vehicle for performing direct flight from ignition within the atmosphere and returning to Earth from far space;
 said upper stage rigidly attachable to a booster; and   said upper stage having a sufficiently high hypersonic lift to drag ratio to enable said upper stage to remain at high altitude long enough to dissipate thermal energy until it decelerates to Low Earth Orbit velocity.   
     
     
         2 . The upper stage of  claim 1  having a thrust-to-mass ratio of between approximately 1 and approximately 0.25. 
     
     
         3 . The upper stage of  claim 1  configured for horizontal Earth landing. 
     
     
         4 . The upper stage of  claim 3  comprising wings. 
     
     
         5 . The upper stage of  claim 1  having a fineness ratio between approximately 7 and approximately 8. 
     
     
         6 . The upper stage of  claim 1  configured to carry six personnel with life support, environmental control and power provisions for missions up to 10 days. 
     
     
         7 . The upper stage of  claim 1  wherein said hypersonic lift to drag ratio is approximately 3. 
     
     
         8 . The upper stage of  claim 1  comprising separate tanks for storing a first fuel, a second fuel, and an oxidizer, which together comprise a dual fuel propellant. 
     
     
         9 . The upper stage of  claim 8  wherein said dual fuel propellant comprises oxygen-hydrocarbon-hydrogen propellant. 
     
     
         10 . The upper stage of  claim 1  comprising separate tanks for storing a fuel and an oxidizer, which together comprise a single fuel propellant. 
     
     
         11 . The upper stage of  claim 10  wherein said single fuel propellant comprises oxygen-hydrogen propellant. 
     
     
         12 . The upper stage of  claim 1  comprising an internal flight deck. 
     
     
         13 . The upper stage of  claim 1  comprising end loading cargo bay doors. 
     
     
         14 . The upper stage of  claim 1  comprising external propellant tanks and/or external cargo pods and/or an external moon lander. 
     
     
         15 . A space vehicle comprising a booster rigidly attached the upper stage of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . The space vehicle of  claim 15  consisting essentially of said booster rigidly attached to said upper stage. 
     
     
         17 . The space vehicle of  claim 15  wherein said booster is launchable from the ground or from an air launch platform. 
     
     
         18 . The upper stage of  claim 1  further comprising an internal bay for transporting a separately propulsive vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The upper stage of  claim 18  wherein said separately propulsive vehicle comprises a characteristic selected from the group consisting of single stage, non-aerodynamic, and reusable. 
     
     
         20 . The upper stage of  claim 18  wherein said separately propulsive vehicle comprises a fuel supply. 
     
     
         21 . The upper stage of  claim 18  wherein said separately propulsive vehicle comprises sufficient fuel capacity to travel to a desired location and return to said upper stage. 
     
     
         22 . The upper stage of  claim 21  wherein said location is the moon and said upper stage is disposed in Low Moon Orbit. 
     
     
         23 . The upper stage of  claim 22  wherein said separately propulsive vehicle can land on the moon. 
     
     
         24 . The upper stage of  claim 18  wherein said separately propulsive vehicle is returnable to Earth while being transported within said bay.