Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
244158200 | Tethered | 19 |
20090152402 | Satellite, method and a fleet of satellites for observing a celestial body - The invention concerns an observation satellite ( | 06-18-2009 |
20100051750 | System and method for space elevator deployment - A system and method for the initial deployment of a space elevator using a tether, doubly spooled from each end, an inertial mass, beacon satellite and positional thrusters, whereby tether is de-spooled from geosynchronous Earth orbit altitude, using gravity and centripetal force gradient, and timed such that when the tethers fully de-spool or near the point of being fully de-spooled, are released and the free ends, one left to fall inwards to Earth anchor point, and the other left to fall outwards to tether end ballast support point, result in an Earth anchored self supporting tension structure. | 03-04-2010 |
20100072321 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A HYBRID LAUNCH SYSTEM - A system includes a gravity gradient stabilized space tether. The gravity gradient stabilized space tether includes a tether body having an upper end and a lower end. The gravity gradient stabilized space tether also includes an upper base station located at the upper end of the tether body and a lower base station located at the lower end of the tether body. The gravity gradient stabilized space tether further includes a device coupled to the lower base station. The device can be lowered to a distance below the lower base station to a rendezvous point that is proximate to an orbital path of a sub-orbital vehicle. | 03-25-2010 |
20100084512 | Luno Geo Wind Mill - Super strong, super long tensile structures, connected to the anchor(s) on the Moon, ‘suspend’ in the Earth's atmosphere assemblies of wind energy catching devices (like turbines) positioned about 10-20 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The wind is actually an airflow generated by the Earth's rotation. The caught energy is converted to electricity and transmitted to Earth. A flat keel, attached to each assembly of turbines, stabilizes the assembly in the direction of the wind. The entire apparatus is stationary relative to the Moon and rotates around the Earth together with the Moon. | 04-08-2010 |
20100193640 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SATELLITE ORBITAL CHANGE USING SPACE DEBRIS - An apparatus for orbital change of a satellite incorporates a capture mechanism for space debris and a tether connecting the capture mechanism to a satellite. The tether is extendable to position the capture mechanism relative to the space debris. A controller is employed for timed release of the space debris by the capture mechanism for orbital change by the satellite. | 08-05-2010 |
20100219297 | LOCAL OBSERVABLE AREA AND SELF INSPECTION SYSTEM - A surveying device and a method for surveying a satellite and its environs is disclosed. The surveying device comprises a docking platform having an interface for physically coupling to a surface of a bus of a spacecraft and an imaging module, releasably coupleable to the docking platform via a semi-rigid tether axially extendable and retractable by command, the imaging module having an imaging sensor for collecting image data, the imaging sensor communicatively coupled with the docking platform via the tether. | 09-02-2010 |
20110139936 | DEBRIS REMOVAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF - A debris removal management system and a method of removing space debris. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a frame, (2) a plurality of net sections coupled to the frame and (3) a plurality of microvehicles coupled to the plurality of net sections and configured to be ejected relative to the frame to deploy the plurality of net sections, the plurality of net sections cooperating to form a net configured to capture space debris. | 06-16-2011 |
20110192936 | Towing Apparatus for a Spacecraft when in Orbit and a Towing Spacecraft - A towing apparatus for a spacecraft when in orbit is provided. The towing apparatus includes a cable, the first end of which is intended to be permanently connected to a spacecraft that must potentially be towed, and the second end of which is provided to be at least temporarily connected to a towing spacecraft for the purpose of towing. An attachment piece is disposed on the second end of the cable for mechanical attachment to a complementary attachment piece of the towing spacecraft, and a positioning aid is disposed to allow for simplified detection of the attachment piece by the towing spacecraft. | 08-11-2011 |
20120012711 | DUAL EVOLVED EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE (EELV) SECONDARY PAYLOAD ADAPTOR (ESPA) PORT SMALL SATELLITE DESIGN - An apparatus and method are disclosed for dual Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) port small satellite designs. The apparatus and method provide payload volume for larger satellites. In one or more embodiments, the apparatus and method include a plurality of small satellite components, a payload adaptor ring, and at least one pivoting hinge system. In at least one embodiment, the plurality of small satellite components includes at least one payload, one bus, and/or one solar panel. The small satellite components are mounted on the payload adaptor ring. At least one pivoting hinge system connects together at least two of the small satellite components. Upon deployment of the small satellite components from the payload adaptor ring, at least one pivoting hinge system combines together at least two small satellite components, thereby creating at least one single larger satellite. | 01-19-2012 |
20120104176 | Electric sail with voltage multipliers in tethers - The effective area of an electric sail depends on the voltage applied to tethers. The use of higher voltages is made possible by moving voltage multipliers to tethers, perhaps 100 meters out from the body of the spacecraft. | 05-03-2012 |
20120292449 | IN-SPACE PROCESSING AND DELIVERY SYSTEM - A processing and delivery system is in space around a celestial body having a magnetic field. The system includes at least one facility having supplies and configured for in-space recycling and manufacturing to produce processed objects utilizing space debris objects and the supplies. The system includes at least one space vehicle configured to deliver the space debris objects from their orbits to the at least one facility using electrodynamic propulsion. The system includes at least one space vehicle configured to deliver new supplies to the at least one facility from other orbits using electrodynamic propulsion. The system includes at least one space vehicle configured to deliver the processed objects from the at least one facility to their destination orbits using electrodynamic propulsion. | 11-22-2012 |
20130075534 | METHOD FOR REMOVING ORBITAL OBJECTS FROM ORBIT USING A CAPTURE NET FOR MOMENTUM TRANSFER - In some embodiments of the invention, methods and devices are provided that perturb a trajectory of a space-orbital object. For example, a spacecraft may be sent to a location near a space-orbital object orbiting the Earth. A net may be released from the spacecraft in a manner (e.g., with a given alignment, direction and velocity) that results in the net contacting and/or entangling with the object. This contact or entanglement may alter a velocity of the space-orbital object and thereby may alter its orbital path. In some instances, the net's velocity is sufficient to experience increase drag by the Earth's atmosphere, relative to the drag it would have otherwise experienced if the net did not contact the object. | 03-28-2013 |
20130233974 | ENERGY SUPPLY METHOD FOR SPACECRAFTS-ACCUMULATORS - The invention relates to the energy provision of space transport systems and to the organization of a load flow between spacecraft in planetary orbits. The method comprises a spacecraft tank trapping and accelerating atmospheric air and loads located in the trajectory of movement thereof. The loads are transported beforehand to said trajectory by corresponding spacecraft, including suborbital spacecraft, and are then transferred to other spacecraft. Velocity losses of the spacecraft tank due to the trapping and accelerating of atmospheric air, loads and to aerodynamic drag are compensated for by a propulsion unit. The propulsion unit may use reactive engines—with consumption of part of the incoming load—or electrodynamic cable systems. Operation of the propulsion unit of the spacecraft tank is ensured by a supply of load energy carriers using atmospheric gases. Furthermore, an interorbital circulation system of said load energy carriers, with recovery of the energy thereof in other spacecraft for repeated use in a spacecraft tank, is established. The invention is directed towards reducing specific waste in the transporting of loads into space with an accompanying improvement in the overall mass characteristics of the spacecraft tank energy unit and an increase in the ecological safety of the load flow. | 09-12-2013 |
20130306798 | DEBRIS REMOVAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF - A debris removal management system and a method of removing space debris. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a frame, (2) a plurality of net sections coupled to the frame and (3) a plurality of microvehicles, coupled to the plurality of net sections, configured to employ propulsion units therein to be ejected relative to the frame to deploy the plurality of net sections, the plurality of net sections cooperating to form a net configured to capture space debris. | 11-21-2013 |
20150041594 | KINETIC ENERGY STORAGE AND TRANSFER (KEST) SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM - A Kinetic Energy Storage and Transfer (KEST) vehicle and target vehicle kinetic energy transfer method are provided. The KEST vehicle is configured to transfer kinetic energy to the target vehicle, propelling the target vehicle into a higher orbit or beyond the Earth. This is accomplished by a catching mechanism that contacts the target vehicle. The catching mechanism may also include a braking mechanism configured to accelerate the target vehicle, and thus slow the KEST vehicle, as the catching mechanism and target vehicle travel along one or more tethers of the KEST vehicle. Alternatively, the catching mechanism may be attached to an end of the one or more tethers and be configured to slow the target vehicle as the one or more tethers bend. | 02-12-2015 |
20150076287 | TETHER FOR SPACECRAFT REACTION CONTROL SYSTEM - A spacecraft reaction control system comprising: a spacecraft having a center of mass; a length of tether extending from said spacecraft and offset from said spacecraft's center of mass and means for controllably changing said extension of said offset such that a variable force is exerted upon said spacecraft by said tether, said force being offset from said center of mass. | 03-19-2015 |
20150102172 | Burn Wire Release Mechanism for Spacecraft and Terrestrial Applications - A burn wire release mechanism for a spacecraft or other system having two masses initially held together by a pretensioned loop, with a spring configured to push the masses apart. The burn wire release system includes at least one burn wire held in contact with the pretensioned loop material. When an electrical current flows through the burn wire, the wire heats up and severs the pretensioned loop, and the masses are pushed apart by the spring. | 04-16-2015 |
20150115106 | SEPARATION SYSTEM AND BURN WIRE RELEASE MECHANISM FOR TETHERED SPACECRAFT - A tethered spacecraft has a first endmass and a second endmass with a telescoping stacer spring and a tether arranged between the endmasses. The spring is coiled around a center rod and initially contained within a housing, the spring being biased to push the first endmass away from the second endmass. The spring housing is affixed to the first endmass, a first end of the spring being affixed to the spring housing, and tether are affixed to spring at one end and to the second endmass at the other end. A pretensioned loop holds the endmasses abuttingly together, and a burnwire release mechanism cuts the loop to deploy the spring. Upon deployment, the spring extends to its full length to form a cylindrical boom, and the endmasses continue to move outward along the spring centerline until stopped by the tether. | 04-30-2015 |
20160101880 | KINETIC ENERGY STORAGE AND TRANSFER (KEST) SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM - A Kinetic Energy Storage and Transfer (KEST) vehicle and target vehicle kinetic energy transfer method are provided. The KEST vehicle is configured to transfer kinetic energy to the target vehicle, propelling the target vehicle into a higher orbit or beyond the Earth. This is accomplished by a catching mechanism that contacts the target vehicle. The catching mechanism may also include a braking mechanism configured to accelerate the target vehicle, and thus slow the KEST vehicle, as the catching mechanism and target vehicle travel along one or more tethers of the KEST vehicle. Alternatively, the catching mechanism may be attached to an end of the one or more tethers and be configured to slow the target vehicle as the one or more tethers bend. | 04-14-2016 |