A liquid propellant rocket engine includes a combustion chamber that has a throat and a nozzle aft of the throat. The nozzle has a first nozzle section adjacent the throat and a second nozzle section aft of the first nozzle section. The first nozzle section includes active cooling features and the second nozzle section excludes any active cooling features. The first nozzle section is operative via at least the active cooling features to form a condensate that passively cools the second nozzle section.

A liquid propellant rocket engine includes a combustion chamber that has a throat and a nozzle aft of the throat. The nozzle has a first nozzle section adjacent the throat and a second nozzle section aft of the first nozzle section. The first nozzle section includes active cooling features and the second nozzle section excludes any active cooling features. The first nozzle section is operative via at least the active cooling features to form a condensate that passively cools the second nozzle section.

The present invention provides a thrust flow powered vehicle comprising a first thrust flow expeller for expelling a first thrust flow in a first direction, a second thrust flow expeller for expelling a second thrust flow in a second direction, the second direction being a different direction to the first direction but sharing a plane with the first direction, a thrust flow deflector surface at an angle to the plane of the first and second directions, and an outlet portion for providing an output thrust flow, such that, in use, the thrust flow deflector surface deflects at least a portion of both the first and second thrust flows to form the output thrust flow such that the output thrust flow has a component in the plane of the first and second directions, and a component out of that plane.

The present invention provides a thrust flow powered vehicle comprising a first thrust flow expeller for expelling a first thrust flow in a first direction, a second thrust flow expeller for expelling a second thrust flow in a second direction, the second direction being a different direction to the first direction but sharing a plane with the first direction, a thrust flow deflector surface at an angle to the plane of the first and second directions, and an outlet portion for providing an output thrust flow, such that, in use, the thrust flow deflector surface deflects at least a portion of both the first and second thrust flows to form the output thrust flow such that the output thrust flow has a component in the plane of the first and second directions, and a component out of that plane.

A method of thrust vectoring a missile utilizing jet tabs is presented. Jet tabs are used to create lateral control moments on a missile by rotating tabs into the rocket exhaust plume and changing the thrust deflection angle. The method includes simultaneously rolling the missile during the thrust vector maneuver in order to reduce the maximum tab exposure to the rocket plume. The method enables aggressive pitchover maneuvers while reducing the risk of tab failure due to excessive exposure.

A method of thrust vectoring a missile utilizing jet tabs is presented. Jet tabs are used to create lateral control moments on a missile by rotating tabs into the rocket exhaust plume and changing the thrust deflection angle. The method includes simultaneously rolling the missile during the thrust vector maneuver in order to reduce the maximum tab exposure to the rocket plume. The method enables aggressive pitchover maneuvers while reducing the risk of tab failure due to excessive exposure.

A vertical take-off and landing spacecraft includes a body, a plurality of engines provided in the body to produce a jet flow and generate thrust, an abnormal signal acquiring unit that acquires an abnormal signal indicative of a presence of an abnormal engine among the plurality of engines, and an engine control unit that outputs a stop signal that stops a specific engine among a plurality of operating engines based on the abnormal signal.

A jet vectoring apparatus has a nozzle (1) which comprises a throat aperture (8) and an exit aperture (9), the apparatus also having a post exit surface (10). Variation of at least one of the throat aperture (8), exit aperture (9) and post exit surface causes a pressure differential upon the post exit surface which permits the direction of propulsive jet flow (3) (also known as jet thrust) to be varied relative to the longitudinal axis (2) of the apparatus.

Attitude of a vehicle may be controlled using movable mass. The movable mass may move inside a vehicle or its outline, outside of the vehicle or its outline, inside-to-outside and/or outside-to-inside of the vehicle or its outline, or any combination thereof. The movable mass may be a solid, liquid, and/or gas. When the center-of-mass of the vehicle is moved relative to the line-of-action of applied forces such as thrust, drag, or lift, a torque can be generated for attitude control or for other purposes as a matter of design choice. In the case of external movable masses that extend from the vehicle or its outline, when operating in endoatmospheric flight, or general travel through a fluid, aerodynamic forces from the atmosphere or general fluid forces may further be leveraged to control the attitude of the vehicle (e.g., aerodynamic flaps).

Attitude of a vehicle may be controlled using movable mass. The movable mass may move inside a vehicle or its outline, outside of the vehicle or its outline, inside-to-outside and/or outside-to-inside of the vehicle or its outline, or any combination thereof. The movable mass may be a solid, liquid, and/or gas. When the center-of-mass of the vehicle is moved relative to the line-of-action of applied forces such as thrust, drag, or lift, a torque can be generated for attitude control or for other purposes as a matter of design choice. In the case of external movable masses that extend from the vehicle or its outline, when operating in endoatmospheric flight, or general travel through a fluid, aerodynamic forces from the atmosphere or general fluid forces may further be leveraged to control the attitude of the vehicle (e.g., aerodynamic flaps).