Philip Bono
Encyclopedia
Philip Bono was a Douglas Aircraft Company
engineer. He was a pioneer of reusable
vertical landing single-stage to orbit launch vehicle
s.
Bono pursued single-stage space launch as simpler and cheaper. He realized to do this he would need to use high specific impulse
liquid hydrogen
/liquid oxygen
rocket engine
s. Afterwards he proposed to make these vehicles reusable. From his ROOST design onwards Bono advocated space launch vehicles without wings, usually using rocket assisted vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL
). According to his estimates, wings consisted mostly of dead weight that decreased launch payload mass. He patented a reusable plug nozzle
rocket engine which had dual use as a heat shield for atmospheric reentry
. His early 1960s concepts influenced later designs like the 1990s Delta Clipper, also from Douglas.
in 1947 with a degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation, Bono worked as a research and systems analyst for North American Aviation
. Bono began working for Douglas Aircraft company in 1960. After the merger of McDonnell Aircraft
and the Douglas Aircraft Company, he worked for McDonnell Douglas
Astronautics from 1966 until 1988. Philip Bono died on 23 May 1993 at the age of 72. He was a resident of Costa Mesa, California at the time of his death.
Less than three months after Bono's death, the first launch vehicle based on his designs, the McDonnell Douglas DC-X
(Delta Clipper) began a largely successful series of test flights. The DC-X was a vertical-takeoff and vertical landing vehicle. The series of test flights began on 18 August 1993 and continued until the launch vehicle was damaged on landing on 16 May 1995.
Hyperion was HTVL, the others VTVL.
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
engineer. He was a pioneer of reusable
Reusable launch system
A reusable launch system is a launch system which is capable of launching a launch vehicle into space more than once. This contrasts with expendable launch systems, where each launch vehicle is launched once and then discarded.No true orbital reusable launch system is currently in use. The...
vertical landing single-stage to orbit launch vehicle
Launch vehicle
In spaceflight, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into outer space. A launch system includes the launch vehicle, the launch pad and other infrastructure....
s.
Bono pursued single-stage space launch as simpler and cheaper. He realized to do this he would need to use high specific impulse
Specific impulse
Specific impulse is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. It represents the derivative of the impulse with respect to amount of propellant used, i.e., the thrust divided by the amount of propellant used per unit time. If the "amount" of propellant is given in terms of mass ,...
liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecular H2 form.To exist as a liquid, H2 must be pressurized above and cooled below hydrogen's Critical point. However, for hydrogen to be in a full liquid state without boiling off, it needs to be...
/liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:...
rocket engine
Rocket engine
A rocket engine, or simply "rocket", is a jet engineRocket Propulsion Elements; 7th edition- chapter 1 that uses only propellant mass for forming its high speed propulsive jet. Rocket engines are reaction engines and obtain thrust in accordance with Newton's third law...
s. Afterwards he proposed to make these vehicles reusable. From his ROOST design onwards Bono advocated space launch vehicles without wings, usually using rocket assisted vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL
VTVL
Vertical takeoff, vertical landing is a form of takeoff and landing using rockets . Multiple VTVL craft have flown. , at least five VTVL rocket vehicles are currently under development at four different aerospace companies...
). According to his estimates, wings consisted mostly of dead weight that decreased launch payload mass. He patented a reusable plug nozzle
Plug nozzle
The plug nozzle is a type of nozzle which includes a centerbody or plug around which the working fluid flows. Plug nozzles have applications in aircraft, rockets, and numerous other fluid flows.-In Rockets:...
rocket engine which had dual use as a heat shield for atmospheric reentry
Atmospheric reentry
Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,...
. His early 1960s concepts influenced later designs like the 1990s Delta Clipper, also from Douglas.
Birth, education and career
Philip Bono was born in Brooklyn, New York on 13 January 1921. He graduated from the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1947 with a degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation, Bono worked as a research and systems analyst for North American Aviation
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
. Bono began working for Douglas Aircraft company in 1960. After the merger of McDonnell Aircraft
McDonnell Aircraft
The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 16, 1939 by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II, and manned spacecraft including the Mercury capsule...
and the Douglas Aircraft Company, he worked for McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
Astronautics from 1966 until 1988. Philip Bono died on 23 May 1993 at the age of 72. He was a resident of Costa Mesa, California at the time of his death.
Less than three months after Bono's death, the first launch vehicle based on his designs, the McDonnell Douglas DC-X
McDonnell Douglas DC-X
The DC-X, short for Delta Clipper or Delta Clipper Experimental, was an unmanned prototype of a reusable single stage to orbit launch vehicle built by McDonnell Douglas in conjunction with the United States Department of Defense's Strategic Defense Initiative Organization from 1991 to 1993...
(Delta Clipper) began a largely successful series of test flights. The DC-X was a vertical-takeoff and vertical landing vehicle. The series of test flights began on 18 August 1993 and continued until the launch vehicle was damaged on landing on 16 May 1995.
Designs
- One Stage Orbital Space Truck (OOST)
- Recoverable One Stage Orbital Space Truck (ROOST)
- Reusable Orbital Module, Booster, and Utility Shuttle (ROMBUS)
- Ithacus
- Pegasus
- Hyperion
- SASSTO
Hyperion was HTVL, the others VTVL.