Skip to content
79,433 pages · 13,741 images · since 1994 Browse A–Z Today in space history
Encyclopedia Astronautica The full story of spaceflight
Encyclopedia entry

SAVER

Spacecraft · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Rockwell SAVER
Rockwell SAVER
Rockwell SAVER personal orbital escape system of the 1960's

American manned rescue spacecraft. Study 1966. The Rockwell SAVER concept provided return of a single crew member in his ejection seat. A nose cap only the size of the seat absorbed most of the re-entry heat.

The rest was dissipated through a huge inflatable balloon deployed from the seat. The concept promised a compact, lightweight solution and allowed the possibility to modulate drag and re-entry loads during re-entry by changing the size of the balloon. but required new materials technology for the nosecap and balloon material.

Crew Size: 1.

Country
USA
Bibliography
419