Patent ID: 6932302

Claim:
A reusable launch system comprising: first, second, and third reusable vehicles connected together and each having an onboard fuel supply and a propulsion engine, characterized in that: said first vehicle is operable to propel said first, second and third vehicles from a launch site to a first staging location below low earth orbit using said propulsion engine on said first vehicle, separate from said second and third vehicles at said first staging location, and non-destructively return to earth independently of said second and third vehicles; said second vehicle is operable to propel said second and third vehicles from said first staging location to a first orbit using said propulsion engine on said second vehicle, separate from said third vehicle at said first orbit, and non-destructively return to earth independently of said first and third vehicles; said third vehicle is operable to independently propel itself from said first orbit to a second orbit higher than said first orbit using said propulsion engine on said third vehicle, non-destructively return to earth independently of said first and second vehicles, and at least one of deliver a payload in orbit and retrieve a payload in orbit; and said third vehicle is at least one of a cargo carrying vehicle and a crew carrying vehicle, wherein said third vehicle is operable to assist in propelling said second and third vehicles from said first staging location to said first orbit using said propulsion engine on said third vehicle.