{
  "patent_number": "US 10427804",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How to Launch Spacecraft Using Giant Cannons Instead of Rockets",
  "original_title": "Orbital mechanics of impulsive launch",
  "summary": "A method for launching space vehicles into orbit using high-speed impulsive forces like cannons, precisely timed to rendezvous with existing satellites.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a technique for launching a vehicle into space using an impulsive force—essentially a massive push or 'shot'—rather than a traditional multi-stage rocket. The method dictates that the vehicle must be launched in an easterly direction to leverage the Earth's rotation. The core of the invention is a precise timing mechanism: the launch must occur at a specific moment, calculated as approximately one-third of the vehicle's total 'fly-out time' before the target satellite passes over the launch site. This ensures the vehicle reaches its highest point (apogee) at the exact moment and location required to meet the target.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover traditional rocket-based launches that use continuous thrust during ascent.",
    "Does not cover launches in directions other than easterly or due east.",
    "Does not cover orbital maneuvers that do not rely on the specific one-third fly-out time calculation for rendezvous.",
    "Does not cover the mechanical design of the launcher itself, only the orbital trajectory and timing method."
  ],
  "filed": "2016-04-29",
  "granted": "2019-10-01",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Quicklaunch Inc",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/quicklaunch-inc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Harry E. Cartland",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/harry-e-cartland"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 2,
  "tags": [
    "aerospace",
    "mechanical",
    "telecommunications"
  ],
  "abstract": "Methods of launching a vehicle using impulsive force are disclosed. In one instance, a vehicle is launched easterly with impulsive force in a plane corresponding to the vehicle's elliptical orbital path. In another instance, a method of closing a timing difference is disclosed. The vehicle undergoes a series of forces after impulsive launch. The first force establishes an orbit having a period significantly different from the orbital period of a satellite or desired vehicle location, closing the difference in an integer number of orbits. The second force establishes the vehicle in circular orbit with the satellite or desired vehicle location. In another instance, the vehicle launched impulsively from a first celestial body travels a first path, and the vehicle experiences a second force along a hyperbolic path about the second celestial body and enters circular orbit about the second celestial body.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10427804/starship-stainless-steel-construction",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10427804/starship-stainless-steel-construction/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10427804",
  "relatedPatents": []
}