Patent ID: 7900434

Claim:
An oxygen-hydrogen space vehicle propulsion system, comprising: at least one cryogenic liquid oxygen tank storing liquid oxygen; at least one cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank storing liquid hydrogen; at least one supercritical oxygen bottle storing gaseous oxygen; at least one supercritical hydrogen bottle storing gaseous hydrogen; at least one pair of thermal switches, one of the thermal switches coupling the cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank to the supercritical oxygen bottle, the other one of the thermal switches coupling the cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank to the supercritical hydrogen bottle; and a pressure management system and a thermodynamic vent system, wherein the thermal switches selectively permit heat to flow between the cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank and respective ones of the supercritical oxygen and hydrogen bottles to facilitate pressure and temperature management within the at least one cryogenic liquid oxygen tank and the at least one cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank in conjunction with higher pressure gas from the at least one supercritical oxygen bottle and higher pressure gas from the at least one supercritical hydrogen bottle to adjust pressure in conjunction with the pressure management system and added cooling from the pressure management system.