A low-cost rocket includes an atmospheric flight part and an exo-atmospheric flight part, and uses the atmospheric air part to ascend into the atmosphere through the use of propellers for the atmospheric portion of the flight. The atmospheric flight part separates from the exo-atmospheric flight part in the vicinity of the exo-atmosphere and the exo-atmospheric rocket is launched thereupon. The atmospheric flight part descends through the atmosphere using autorotation of the propellers and, if necessary, a soft landing can be affected by controlling the pitch of the propellers just prior to landing.

An engine comprises an air intake arrangement configured to receive air; a heat exchanger arrangement arranged downstream of the air intake arrangement, configured to cool the air, and comprising a plurality of heat exchanger modules; and one or more turbomachinery components configured to receive cooled air from the heat exchanger arrangement. The plurality of heat exchanger modules are arranged to be generally centred on and to be arranged along a longitudinal axis of the engine. At least one of the plurality of heat exchanger modules is arranged to at least partially overlap with at least one other one of the plurality of heat exchanger modules relative to the longitudinal axis of the engine.

A system for vertical or inclined take-offs of air-breathing engine systems comprising: an additional guidance system for the air-breathing engine system, which can selectively supply additional inflowing atmosphere or air. A control system capable of selectively supplying the additional incoming atmosphere in a variable manner to the air-breathing engine system. Additional inflowing atmosphere air can be supplied by thrust, from a conventional rocket engine system or the air-breathing engine system. Volumetric base structure pneumatic or hydraulic press-on body and flexible deck structure as variable or partially variable in shape or position for air-breathing thruster system, guidance system, control system. Variable diffusers, bypasses, exhausters, open spaces, junctions of mass flows of the additional incoming atmosphere at the additional guidance system or in the engine to specifically prevent scavenging or stalls. Additional mobile feed of an oxidizer carried along for starting purposes or for support during operation.

A motor and fuel-powered hybrid system of a rocket thruster is disclosed, which mainly provides power through a motor and a fluid fuel injector. In particular, at the beginning stage of the rocket lift-off, the motor drives the compressor to provide power to send the rocket into air. When the speed and height of the rocket gradually increase, the fuel is ignited to give power to keep propelling the rocket, thereby reducing the fluid fuel that needs to be carried on the rocket, increasing the rocket's loading space and enhancing the carrying capacity.

A hybrid airbreathing rocket engine module (70) comprises an air intake arrangement (62) configured to receive air and a heat exchanger arrangement (63) configured to cool air from the air intake arrangement (62); a compressor (64) configured to compress air from the heat exchanger arrangement (63); and one or more thrust chambers (65). The air intake arrangement (62), the compressor (64), the heat exchanger arrangement (63), and the one or more thrust chambers (65) are arranged generally along an axis (69) of the engine module (70). The heat exchanger arrangement (63) is arranged between the compressor (64) and the one or more thrust chambers (65).

The present disclosure discloses a rocket braked by air recovered by turbines and a deceleration method for recovery of the same. The rocket includes a first-stage rocket and a second-stage rocket, where the first-stage rocket includes a first-stage rocket fuselage sequentially provided with a movable baffle, an oxidizer chamber, a fuel chamber, a combustion chamber, and an ejection opening from top to bottom; after the first-stage rocket is separated from the second-stage rocket, the movable baffle of the first-stage rocket is opened to generate resistance for deceleration and adjustment on a descending posture; an air inlet in a turbine is exposed at the same time, and the turbine is turned on; and after a flameout of an engine, stored compressed air is downwards ejected from the bottom of the first-stage rocket to generate thrust for deceleration, so as to achieve safe landing of the rocket.

An air-breathing rocket engine in certain embodiments comprises an hourglass-shaped outer shell and an interior portion situated entirely within the front end of the outer shell. The interior portion includes a funnel-shaped intake that terminates in a floor and an inner front wall that forms a first circumferential gap between the inner front wall and the outer surface of the funnel-shaped intake. The intake has a central aperture that is in fluid communication with the throat and exhaust areas within the outer shell. A second circumferential gap is formed between the outer surface of the front inner wall and the inner surface of the front end of the outer shell and is in fluid communication with the throat and exhaust areas within the outer shell. One or more injector polis and one or more ignition ports are situated at the front end of the second circumferential gap.

An air-breathing rocket engine in certain embodiments comprises an hourglass-shaped outer shell and an interior portion situated entirely within the front end of the outer shell. The interior portion includes a funnel-shaped intake that terminates in a floor and an inner front wall that forms a first circumferential gap between the inner front wall and the outer surface of the funnel-shaped intake. The intake has a central aperture that is in fluid communication with the throat and exhaust areas within the outer shell. A second circumferential gap is formed between the outer surface of the front inner wall and the inner surface of the front end of the outer shell and is in fluid communication with the throat and exhaust areas within the outer shell. One or more injector polis and one or more ignition ports are situated at the front end of the second circumferential gap.

The jet engine comprising a ramjet air path extending from an intake, into a combustion chamber, and out an exhaust nozzle, a fuel inlet leading into the combustion chamber, an oxidizer inlet leading into the combustion chamber and a partition being operable to selectively close the ramjet air path upstream of the combustion chamber to allow operation of the jet engine in rocket mode and open the ramjet air path to allow operation of the jet engine in ramjet mode.

An air-breathing rocket engine with an hourglass-shaped outer shell and an interior portion situated entirely within the front end of the outer shell. The interior portion includes a funnel-shaped intake that terminates in a floor and an inner front wall that forms a first circumferential gap between the inner front wall and the outer surface of the funnel-shaped intake. The intake has a central aperture that is in fluid communication with the throat and exhaust areas within the outer shell. A second circumferential gap is formed between the outer surface of the front inner wall and the inner surface of the front end of the outer shell and is in fluid communication with the throat and exhaust areas within the outer shell. One or more injector ports and one or more ignition ports are situated at the front end of the second circumferential gap.