Rocket propulsion systems and associated methods are disclosed. A representative system includes a combustion chamber having an inwardly-facing chamber wall enclosing a combustion zone. The chamber has a generally spherical shape and is exposed to the combustion zone. A propellant injector is coupled to the combustion chamber and has at least one fuel injector nozzle positioned to direct a flow of cooling fuel radially outwardly along the inwardly-facing chamber wall. In addition to or in lieu of the foregoing features, the injector can include an oxidizer piston and a fuel piston that deliver oxidizer and fuel, respectively, to the combustion chamber, in a sequenced manner so that the oxidizer is introduced prior to the fuel.

A system for providing ignition and pressurization of hypersonic vehicles is disclosed. The system combines the pressurization, barbotage and ignition functions into a single system saving mass and volume and simplifying the hypersonic vehicle plumbing. A monopropellant fuel such as Tridyne is used to pressurize a fuel tank, warm the fuel as it enters fuel injectors, and provide barbotage of the fuel just prior to its injection into a combustion chamber.

Various enhanced rocket engine systems are discussed herein. In one implementation, a rocket engine system includes a combustion chamber, and at least one propellant tank that holds propellant in at least a liquid state. The rocket engine system also includes a pump configured to pump liquid propellant from the at least one propellant tank through a thermoelectric generator (TEG) system and a heat exchanger. The TEG system is configured to produce electrical power for the pump based at least on a temperature differential between the liquid propellant from the at least one propellant tank and heat produced in the combustion chamber during an active state of the rocket engine. The heat exchanger is configured to receive heat from the combustion chamber and pressurize the at least one propellant tank by heating at least partially liquid propellant received from the TEG system.

A rocket propellant tank arrangement (40) for storing fuel and oxidizer for launching a rocket includes an oxygen tank (42) for storing liquid oxygen and a fuel tank (52) for storing liquid fuel, wherein the fuel tank is at least partially arranged within the oxygen tank.

In a method of facilitating flight operations, a payload is coupled to a spacecraft via a payload interface. The relative alignment of the payload and the spacecraft is dynamically adjusted (e.g., for thrust alignment) while the payload remains coupled to the spacecraft.

Rocket tank liquid level determination, and associated systems and methods. A representative system includes a computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed, receive an image corresponding to a view of the liquid in the rocket tank, identify an edge between the liquid and a wall of the tank, and, based on at least one of a size, shape, location, or orientation of the edge, estimate a level of the liquid in the tank. In addition to or in lieu of determining the liquid level, the system can determine a characteristic of a sloshing motion of the liquid in the tank, and, based at least on the characteristic of the sloshing motion, direct operation of a forcing element that imparts a force to the rocket to at least partially counteract a force placed on the rocket by the sloshing motion of the liquid in the tank.

The present invention relates to a reinforced bulging tank of a launch vehicle and a manufacturing method therefor. The tank is made of metal material with good plasticity. Firstly, the tank is manufactured by welding annealed plastic metal materials, wherein internal longitudinal reinforcing ribs and internal annular frames/annular plates of barrel sections are welded with a barrel section shell by a low energy laser welding method, and tank bottoms are progressively welded by a plurality of conical sections. Weldments are strengthened and formed through internal pressure bulging under the constraint of external tooling. The outer walls of the barrel sections are not radially deformed under the constraint of a plurality of small width metal rings, and the metal rings are not connected to each other axially. The strength of the materials can be greatly improved by a deep cooling bulging technology.

The device comprises a primary heater (58) suitable for heating the propellant coming from the tank (16) prior to it being reintroduced into its tank. The primary heater uses the heat of combustion from the engine (10) and the device further comprises a secondary heater (66) having its source of heat independent from the operation of the engine, the secondary heater being arranged downstream from the primary heater (58) in order to heat the propellant between its outlet from the primary heater and being reintroduced into the tank. The device also has means (62) between the feed to the primary heater (58) and the return of the propellant to the tank for putting the propellant under pressure.

The invention relates generally to dual mode bipropellant chemical rocket propulsion systems to be used in aerospace applications for 1) orbit raising, orbit maneuvers and maintenance, attitude control and deorbiting of spacecraft, and/or 2) propellant settling, attitude and roll control of missiles, launchers and space planes. The present invention also relates to a dual mode chemical rocket engine for use in such systems. The engine uses low-hazardous storable liquid propellants and can be operated either in monopropellant mode or in bipropellant mode. The monopropellants used are a low-hazard liquid fuel-rich monopropellant, and a low-hazard liquid oxidizer-rich monopropellant, respectively.

A system for feeding a space vehicle with propellant, the system comprising: an on-board device (100) comprising: a frame (110) having a feed orifice (112) leading to an on-board tank (120); and a valve (130) adapted to act selectively to shut or open said feed orifice (112); a ground device (200) comprising: a feed duct (210); and a control body (240) surrounding a free end (212) of the feed duct (210) and provided with an actuator (250); the on-board device (100) and the ground device (200) being configured so as to be capable of being associated so that, in an open configuration, propellant can be transferred from the feed duct (210) to the on-board tank (120), the actuator (250) being configured so as to control the opening and shutting of the feed orifice (112) by the valve (130); the system being characterized in that said actuator (250) surrounds the outer periphery of the feed duct (210).