CLUSTERED, FIXED CANT, THROTTLEABLE ROCKET ASSEMBLY

摘要

A clustered, fixed cant, throttleable rocket assembly (102) is used to propel and a steer a vessel (100) in terrestrial or extraterrestrial applications. The fixed cant of each of at least three individual rocket engines (104, 106, 108) in the cluster provides the steering input to the overall assembly (102). More specifically, by changing the propellant flow rate to the individual rocket engines (104, 106, 108) relative to one another, the overall thrust vector of the rocket assembly (102) may be selected to provide a desired steering input to the vessel (100). A measured vessel orientation may be compared with a desired vessel orientation to determine what steering input is required to achieve the desired vessel orientation.