Aerial capsule emergency separation device using jettisonable tower

Faget, M. A.

Meyer, A. J., Jr.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

N 75 3 3 3 93, 
Sept. 26, 1961 M. A. FAGET ETAL 3,001,739 
AERIAL CAPSULE EMERGENCY SEPARATION DEVICE 
Filed Oct. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 
FIG. I 
27 
16 
V 
N 
0 
Q 
U 
5 
(NASA CR OR TMX OR AD NUMBER) 2 
BY 
J v. 
I 
(THRU) 
/ I  
(4 
(CODE) 
03 
(CATEGORY) 
INVENTORS 
MAXIME A. FAGET 
ANDRE J. MEYER, JR. 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19700024032 2020-03-17T01:33:48+00:00Z
Sept. 26, 1961 M. A. FAGET ETAL 3,OO 1,739 
AERIAL CAPSULE EMERGENCY SEPARATION DEVICE 
F i l e d  Oct, 16, 1959 2 S h ~ t s - S h e e t  2 
FIG 
16 
34 
39 
35 
& 37 
37i? 
37 
16 
FIG. 3 
16 
BY 
FIG. 2 
3,001,739 United States Patent Office patented Sept. 26, 1961 
1 
3,001,739 
AERIAL CAPSULE EMERGENCY SEPARATION nmvrm --. ___  
Maxime A. Faget and Andre J. Meyer, Jr., Newport News, 
Va., assignors to the United States of America a8 rep- 
resented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration 
Filed Oct. 16,1959, Ser. No. 847,027 
8 Claims. (Cl. 244-1) 
(Granted udder Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) 
The invention described herein may be manufactured 
and used by or for the Government of the United States 
of America for governmental purposes without the pay- 
ment of any royalties thereon or therefor. 
This invention relates generally to  aerial emergency 
escape means, and more particularly to  an ejection con- 
figuration for detaching a space vehicle, such for example 
as a manned satellite capsule, from its launching vehicle 
in  an emergency. 
Present day scientific efforts to effect a manned orbital 
flight about the earth contemplates the substitution of a 
capsule for the payload of an available military missile 
and the utilization of the missile motors as a means for 
launching the capsule into orbit. In the event of a mal- 
functioning of the launching motors it is desirable to 
provide emergency means for the capsule which will 
allow for the escape of the occupant of the capsule from 
the proximate vicinity of the launching motors. Prior 
art escape devices, such for example as the ejection seats 
and encapsuled pods provided for conventional aircraft 
occupants lack the capability of ejecting an occupant safe- 
ly clear of the danger area of the launching motors. 
Furthermore space limitations within the space capsule 
prevent the utilization of such escape devices. 
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present in- 
vention to provide a new and improved aerial emergency 
escape configuration. 
Another object of the instant invention is the provision 
of means for separating a space vehicle from its launch- 
ing vehicle. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a new 
and improved aerodynamically stable and jettisonable de- 
vice for lifting a nose package of a propellant motor clear 
of the motor upon malfunctioning thereof. 
A still further object of the present invention is to  pro- 
vide a detachable emergecny lifting unit for a manned 
satellite capsule. 
According to the present invention, the foregoing and 
other objects are attained by detachably mounting atop 
a space capsule a jettisonable tower supported propelling 
device for quickly raising the entire capsule away from 
its launching vehicle. 
A more complete appreciation of the invention and 
many of the attendant advantages thereof .will be readily 
appreciated as the same becomes better understood by 
reference to the following detailed description when con- 
sidered in connection with the accompanying drawings 
wherein: 
'FIG. 1 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in sec- 
tion, of a manned satellite capsule launching conflgura- 
tion including the separation means in accordance with 
the present invention; 
FIGS. 2-5 illustrate, to a greatly reduced scale, the 
sequence of events in a normal space capsule launching 
and recovery; and, 
FIGS. 6-8 illustrate, to a greatly reduced scale, the se- 
quence of events in an aborted space capsule launching. 
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference 
numerals designate identical or correspnding parts 
throughout the several views, and more particularly to 
FIO. 1 whereon a space capsule 10 having a blunt fore- 
6 
10 
16 
20 
26 
30 
36 
40 
46 
60 
66 
eo 
66 
70 
2 
body 11, a narrow afterbody 12 and a top cylindrical 
container 13 is shown as being positioned atop a launch- 
ing vehicle, such for example as a rocket or missile motor, 
14 by means of an adapter pedestal 15 secured to the 
nose portion of the launching vehicle. The capsule 10 
is detachably seated upon the pedestal 15 by a circum- 
scribing split ring 16 having one or more explosive bolts 
17 connected between segments of the split clamp ring. 
The astronaut, or occupant, 18 of the capsule 10 is 
placed within the lower compartment, or chamber, 19 
formed by the forebody portion 11 of the capsule, and 
in order to sustain the high acceleration and landing im- 
pact forces to which the capsule will be subjected, the 
m u p a n t  is preferably supported by a contour couch 21 
therein. A preferred type of contour couch is disclosed 
in the copending application of Maxime A. Faget, Wil- 
liam B. Bland, and Jack C. Heberlig, Serial Number 
840,983, filed September 18, 1959, of common assignee 
herewith. The upper compartment 22 formed by the 
container 13 of the capsule stores a drogue parachute 23 
and a main parachute 24. The capsule 10 is also pro- 
vided with an attitude control system consisting of an 
autopilot 25 which controls the operation of a plurality 
of minute rockets 26 spatially positioned along the pe- 
riphery of the upper extremity of the cylindrical container 
13 for regulating the pitch and yaw of the capsule, and 
another plurality of minute rockets 27 positioned along 
the periphery of the lower extremity of the capsule fore- 
body 11 for regulating the roll of the capsule. Detach- 
ably attached to  the thick underside 28 of the capsule 
forebody is a container 29 within which is housed a num- 
ber of posigrade rockets 31 and retrorockets 32. If 
desired, control and communication instruments 30 may 
also be disposed within the compartment 19. dt will be 
readily appreciated by those skilled in the art to which 
the present invention relates that the operation of the 
explosive bolts 17, parachutes 23 and 24, rockets 26, 27, 
31 and 32 can be controlled remotely from a ground 
station, or by means manually operated by the occupant 
18, or by conventional sequence programming devices 
among the instruments 30. 
It is to be understood that inasmuch as the space cap- 
sule 10 does not constitute part of the instant invention, 
only so much of the structural details and operational 
features thereof considered to be essential for a complete 
understanding of this invention are described herein, 
A complete description of the manned space capsule 11 
is disclosed in the copending application of Maxime A. 
Paget e t  al., Serial Number 847,023, filed October 16, 
1959, and of common assignee herewith, 
Mounted atop the capsule container 13 is the emergency 
separation unit 33 of the present invention. As shown in 
RIG. 1, the unit consists of separate rocket motors 34 and 
35 supported by a tower 36. The base of the tower 36 is 
detachably secured to the capsule container 13 by a 
clamp ring 37 having one or more explosive bolts 38 nor- 
mally maintaining the segments thereof in a continuous 
ring. The rocket motor 34 is of a size suitable to rap- 
Idly lift the capsule 10 a predetermined safe separation 
distance from the launching motor 14 in the event of 
an impending failure thereof. A preferred rocket motor 
design would provide for a separtion distance of approxi- 
mately 250 feet during the first second of rocket motor 
operation. The rocket motor 34 is provided with three 
nozzles 39 which nozzles are equidistantly spaced and 
suitably canted so as to direct the rocket blast outward 
and away from the tower 36 and capsule 10. The rocket 
motor 35 is positioned under rocket motor 34 and is of 
a suitable size t o  effect jettisoning of the separation unit 
33, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. A bal- 
last 41 is positioned on the rocket motor 34 for maintain- 
s,ooi,rm 
3 4 
ing the capsule statically stable and trim in the same at- unit compdsing first propellant motor means for rapidly 
titude as the capsule would maintain during a normal lifting the aerial vehicle a predetermined distance, second 
launching. An aerodynamic spike 42 may be vertically propellant motor means for effecting spatial separation 
disposed atop the ballast 41 for developing a shock wave between the emergency unit and the aerial vehicle, means 
which will reduce the heating of the capsule by aerody- 5 for supporting said first and second motor means above 
namic friction during the launching flight period. the aerial vehicle, and means for normally attaching said ‘ 
For the purpose of providing a better understanding of last recited means to the aerial vehicle and for selectively 
the capsule separation unit, the operational sequence of detaching said last recited means therefrom. 
both a normal and aborted space capsule flight will now 2. In combination with an aerial vehicle, an emergency 
be described in relation to FIGS. 2-5 and FIGS. 6-8, re- 10 unit comprising a tower vertically positioned upon the 
spectively. aerial vehicle, a first rocket motor supported by said 
Upon initiation of the launching motor 14, the capsule tower, a plurality of nozzles for said first motor, said 
10 is carried aloft, as shown in FIG. 2, until at a suit- nozzles being equidistantly spaced and inclined in an 
able altitude or  time thereafter, the explosive bolts 38 outwardly direction, a second rocket motor having a 
are ignited whereupon the tower clamp ring 37 is re- 15 centrally disposed nozzle supported by said tower be- 
leased. Concurrently therewith both the escape rockets neath said first motor, a ballast supported by said tower 
34 and jettison rocket 35 are fired thereby raising the above said first motor, and explosive responsive means 
entire separation unit 133 away from the capsule 10, as for normally securing said tower to  the aerial vehicle 
shown in FIG. 3. At a suitable time thereafter, such and for selectively effecting detachment therefrom. 
for example as when the conditions of velocity and alti- 20 3. In an emergency unit according to claim 2, an aero- 
tude satisfactory for orbital injection of the capsule are dynamic spike positioned (atop said ballast. 
attained, the explosive bolts 17 are ignited and clamp 4. In  combination with an aerial capsule, an emergency 
ring 16 released. Concurrently therewith the posigrade unit comprising a tower vertically positioned atop t? 
rockets 31 are fired and the capsule 10 is separated from aerial capsule, a first rocket motor supported atop s a d  
the pedestal 15 of the launching motor 14. Immediately 25 tower, said first motor having thrust generating capabili- 
after separation, the autopilot 25 will change the atti- ties suitable to rapidly lift the aerial capsule a predeter- 
tude of the capsule 180 degrees, as shown in FIG. mined spatial distance, a plurality of nozzles coupled to  
4 of the drawing. While the capsule is in orbit, the auto- the lower extremity of said first rocket, said nozzles being 
pilot 25 will regulate the operation of jets 26 and 27 in equidistantly spaced and inclined outwardly at an angle 
a manner to stabilize the attitude of the capsule in space. 30 with said tower sufficient direct the blast from said 
At the proper time for reentry into the earth’s atmos- first rockd motor aside of the aerial capsule, a ballast 
phere, the retrorockets 32 will be fired to bring the cap- superposed on said first motor, explosive actuated means 
sule out of orbit. The container 29 is then detached for normally attaching said tower to  the aeriul capsule 
from the capsule underbody. After reentry, atmapher- and for selectively detaching said tower therefrom, and a 
ic drag will reduce the speed of the capsule Until it ap- 35 second rocket motor having a single centrally disposed 
proaches sonic level, at which time the drogue parachute nozzle supported by said tower subjacent said first mo- 
23 is deployed to stabilize the capsule attitude during tor, said second motor being of a magnitude suitable to 
this period of descent. When the velocity of the capsule lift said tower from the aerial capsule. subsequent to the 
has been further reduced, the landing parachute 24 is de- detachment thereof. 
played, and the drogue parachute 23 released, as &own 40 5. In an emergency unit according to  claim 4, an aero- 
in FIG. 5 ,  thereby to slowly lower the capsule to the dynamic spike supported by said tower atop said ballast. 
earth’s surface for recovery. It will be apparent from 6. In an emergency unit according to claim 4 where- 
the foregoing description of a normal space capsule in said explosive actuated means includes a segmented 
flight that the emergency separation system according to clamp ring contiguously encircling the base of said tower 
the present invention is fully compatible with a normal 45 and the upper extremity of the aerial capsule, and an ex- 
space flight operation. plosive bolt interconnecting segments of said clamp ring. 
In the event of an impending malfunctioning of the 7. In combination with an aerial vehicle, an emergency 
launching vehicle 14, either on the ground or in  early propulsion system comprising a tower, means detachably 
stage of fight, the explosive bolts 17 are isnited and the comecting a first end of said tower to said aerial vehicle, 
adapter clamp ring 16 released. Concurrently therewith, 60 a rocket motor, means connecting said rocket motor to 
the rocket package 29 is detached and the escape rocket a second end of said tower in a position so as to  exhaust 
motor 34 fired thereby to rapidly Propel the mmed in the general direction of said aerial vehicle, and a plu- 
Capsule upwards from the immediate VioinitY of the rality of exhaust nozzles connected to said rocket motor 
launching motor 14, as shown in FIG. 6. When the c a p  at equidistant portions thereof to direct the exhaust of 
sule has been raised to a maximum escape altitude, the 66 said rocket motor away from said aerial vehicle, 
explosive bolts 38 are ignited and the tower clamp ring 8. The combination set forth in claim 7 comprising a 
37 released. The jettison rocket 35 is then fired and the s a n d  rocket motor mounted on tower, said second 
emergency escape unit 33 separated from the capsule 10, rocket motor developing leas thrust than said first rocket 
shown in IFKX 7. The capsule reorients itself as motor, but having sufficient thrust generating capabilities 
shown in FIG. 8 and will then go through the normal 60 to  lift said tower and said Arst rocket motor. 
sequency of reentry, drogue parachute deployment, main 
parachute deployment, landing and recovery. References Cited in the file of this patent 
Obviously many modifications and variations of the UNITED STATES PATENTS 
preaent invention are possible in the light of the above Darrieus _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  Aug. 18, 1953 teachings. xt is therefore to be understood that within 86 2,809,584 Smith - - act. 15, 1957 
the scope of the appended claims the invention may be 
practiced otherwise than as specifically described. OTHER REFERENCES 
What is claimed as new and desired to be eecured I-Ton Space Capsules Chuted to Ocean, Recovered In- 
by Letters Patent of the United States is: taot-The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., March 26, 
1. Ea combhation with an serial vehicle, an emergency 70 1959, pg. AS. 
2,649,266 


Aerial capsule emergency separation device Patent

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server