Adapter (rocketry)

In rocketry, an adapter is a hollow cylindrical or conical segment which provides a sound aerodynamic and structural connection, either between rocket stages (often referred to as an interstage) or between a spacecraft and the top rocket stage (referred to as a payload adapter). It may shroud and protect vulnerable systems such as electrics or machinery of rocket engines/spacecraft from weather or noise caused by running engines. It is discarded during staging.

Examples of rocket stages featuring an interstage adapter:

Examples of rocket stages featuring a payload adapter:

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.