Patent ID: 11866202
Assignee: FENIX SPACE, INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 13:
14. A method of employing a launch system as defined in claim 1 for orbital or suborbital air-launch of a payload, the method comprising the steps of:
releasably coupling the launch vehicle with the towed aircraft via the articulatable carriage to form the air-launch assembly by pivotally coupling the at least one forward arm to the interstage ring of the launch vehicle and pivotally coupling the at least one rearward arm to the launch vehicle at the rear of the launch vehicle;
configuring the air-launch assembly in the stowed position with the launch vehicle adjacent to the towed aircraft;
towing the air-launch assembly via the tow aircraft and interconnected tow cable to the first altitude;
releasing the air-launch assembly from tow at or above the first altitude;
activating the towed aircraft propulsion system and initiating a pull-up and climb maneuver of the towed aircraft to the second altitude, the second altitude being more than 10,000 feet greater than the first altitude;
after the steps of releasing the air-launch assembly from tow at or above the first altitude and activating the towed aircraft propulsion system and initiating a pull-up and climb maneuver of the towed aircraft to the second altitude, articulating the articulatable carriage to shift the air-launch assembly to the deployed position with the launch vehicle spaced from the towed aircraft;
releasing the launch vehicle from the articulatable carriage and thus from the towed aircraft; and
powering the launch vehicle propulsion system for further altitude gain or to meet specific mission requirements.