Patent ID: 6964154

Claim:
A rocket engine assembly for a vertically launched vehicle, said assembly comprising: a rocket engine housing including at least four combustion chambers arranged in an axisymmetric configuration, each of said combustion chambers including an outlet end defining a sonic throat area; means for supplying a propellant to said at least four combustion chambers including throttling injector means, individually associated with each of said at least four combustion chambers and located upstream of said sonic throat area, for receiving said propellant and for injecting said propellant into the associated combustion chamber, said injector means comprising a coaxial pintle injector disposed coaxially with the associated combustion chamber and located wholly upstream of said sonic throat area; expansion means located downstream of said sonic throat area for providing expansion of combustion gases produced by said at least four combustion chambers, said expansion means comprises an expansion nozzle including a central aerospike body; and control means for selectively controlling the throttling injector means for each of said at least four combustion chambers so that said at least four chambers provide a vectorable net thrust.