Patent ID: 8528853

Claim:
An in-line staged flight vehicle comprising: (i) a launch vehicle, the launch vehicle comprising: (a) a launch vehicle body, the launch vehicle body comprising: (i) a launch vehicle front portion; comprising: a launch vehicle front bottom portion; (ii) a launch vehicle rear portion; and (iii) at least one launch vehicle airfoil; and (b) a launch vehicle propulsion system; wherein the at least one launch vehicle airfoil is configured to generate lift; and wherein the launch vehicle propulsion system is attached to a portion of the launch vehicle and configured to facilitate powered flight of the flight vehicle; and (ii) a crew vehicle, the crew vehicle comprising: (a) a crew vehicle body, the crew vehicle body comprising: (i) a crew vehicle front portion; (ii) a crew vehicle rear portion comprising: a rear opening; and (iii) at least one crew vehicle airfoil; and wherein the at least one crew vehicle airfoil is configured to generate lift; wherein the rear opening is configured to receive the launch vehicle front bottom portion; and wherein the launch vehicle is configured to takeoff horizontally; wherein the crew vehicle is configured to takeoff horizontally; wherein the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are moveable between a coupled condition and an uncoupled condition; wherein the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle may move from the coupled condition to the uncoupled condition during flight; wherein, in the coupled condition, during atmospheric flight, the launch vehicle body and the crew vehicle body generate lift for the flight vehicle; wherein, in the coupled condition, the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are staged in-line such that the launch vehicle front portion is removably connected to the crew vehicle rear portion and the launch vehicle and the crew vehicle are aligned along a common centerline; and wherein in the coupled condition, a leading edge of the at least one launch vehicle airfoil is adjacent to a trailing edge of the at least one crew vehicle airfoil.