Rocket vehicles that take off vertically,
accelerate to space and then return to land
vertically obviously need engines that are
extremely reliable. They have no wings or
other means to provide lift if the engines
fail. (A crew or payload module, though,
could separate in an emergency and land
via parachutes as Blue
Origin plans to do with its vehicle.)
Furthermore, a suborbital VTVL (Vertical
Takeoff, Vertical Landing) space vehicle
must turn off its engine(s) after accelerating
to the desired speed so that it coasts up
to its maximum altitude (typically 100 kilometers)
with minimum fuel usage. As the vehicle
heads back down, it must turn the engine
back on so as to slow the vehicle and make
a safe landing.
Masten
Space System in Mojave, California on
May 26, 2010 carry out what is believed
to be the first successful demonstration
of a rocket engine deliberately shut off
and then re-lit during the flight of a VTVL
vehicle. Here is a statement from the company
describing the test: Masten
Space Re-Lights Rocket Engine in Flight
- Masten Space Systems - May 26, 2010.
The two videos below show views from "Xombie"
as it took off vertically, shuts off the
engine, and then re-lights its engine, which
proceeds to power the vehicle for a safe
landing.
Xombie does an amazing mid-air feat:
A view looking downward from the vehicle:
More Masten Space Systems videos in their
Youtube
Gallery and also in Ben
Brockert's Gallery.
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