Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
244171900 | With special crew accommodations | 8 |
20100308175 | SPACE VEHICLE SEAT AND SPACE VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH THIS SEAT - The seat specially designed for space vehicles and in particular space planes comprises a rigid hull and parts of axis of which the direction of alignment passes in front of the occupant of the seat and along him; the seat rotates freely around parts of axis according to the direction of the acceleration in order to always place the occupant in the orientation perpendicular to the forces of acceleration. | 12-09-2010 |
20110278400 | CONFORMAL AIRLOCK ASSEMBLY AND METHOD - A conformal airlock assembly for ingress and egress through a door from a high pressure environment to a low pressure environment. The airlock assembly includes a flexible, gas impermeable membrane that cooperates with a support wall in an airtight manner to form an interior pocket over the door on one side of the wall. A gas displacement system, in flow communication with the interior pocket, is selectively operable to flow air out of the interior pocket, collapsing the membrane toward a collapsed condition. An actuation system coupled to the flexible membrane is operable to displace the flexible membrane, in the collapsed condition, away from the one side of the support wall. Such displacement of the airtight membrane creates a low pressure space in the pocket that is selected to be sufficiently proximate that of the low pressure environment. Hence, the door may be opened to permit ingress and egress therethrough without a large pressure differential. | 11-17-2011 |
20130221161 | SINGLE HINGE SPACESUIT AND VEHICLE PORT INTERFACE - An extravehicular activity system includes a vehicle having a bulkhead providing a port. The bulkhead separates an interior environment and an unenclosed exterior environment. The exterior environment is configured to be exposed to atmospheric pressure in a donning condition. A cover has a perimeter with a side of the perimeter secured to the bulkhead by a hinged joint. A spacesuit is supported on the bulkhead in the exterior environment and includes a flange providing a rear entry opening aligned with the port. A PLSS is retained in the cover and spaced from the flange in the donning condition. The PLSS is configured to be rotated about the hinged joint and into engagement with the flange in a donned condition in which the PLSS is removably secured to the flange. | 08-29-2013 |
20150090842 | Airlock with enlarged viewports - An airlock that provides a substantially 360 view using enlarged viewports is disclosed. | 04-02-2015 |
20150108280 | Mechanism for stabilizing and creating a variable gravitational field in a toroidal spacestation - This invention provides a mechanism to create an artificial gravitational environment in a toroidal space station in which gravity may vary from zero, of advantage during repairs, manufacturing and research activities, and docking maneuvers, to values greater than one g for preparing astronauts for missions to other planets, or for other purposes. The mechanism couples the rotation of a high density cylinder in the center of the hub to that of the torus through gears such that the total angular momentum of the station is zero, allowing maneuvering of the station to be less complicated since gyroscopic effects are eliminated, and the level of gravity in the torus to be varied without the use of external thrusters. Gears are driven by motors attached to the hubs, providing redundancy for maintenance and emergency operations, with power provided by solar cells, a nuclear power plant, or other means. | 04-23-2015 |
20150329223 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY - An artificial gravity system and method for a spacecraft including a least one pair of rotatable stages wherein each stage is capable of rotating about at least one structural support in the spacecraft and wherein the rotatable stages in each pair of rotatable stages counter-rotate one another wherein each stage is capable of accommodating a plurality of occupants. The stages may be circular and deployable. The system may also include dynamic balance equipment in each stage consisting of a fluid redistribution design utilizing fluid pumping systems, storage- and reserve-volume tank pairs to redistribute fluid throughout each stage for optimal mass balance, stage- and spacecraft-mounted laser-tracking equipment for redundant speed measurement, drive assembly and a brake motor and wheel assembly, foldable structural support arms capable of reducing the radial space of each stage during takeoff, and an inertial measurement unit capable of detecting overall vehicle rotational rates. | 11-19-2015 |
20160376038 | RELEVATOR, RELEVATOR SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF USING A RELEVATOR - A relevator adapted to transition an object between a stationary compartment and a rotating module rotating in a first direction, the relevator comprising: a plurality of concentric substantially solid structures separated by a plurality of concentric compartments all concentrically positioned around a central axis; a relevator central shaft extending along the central axis; the relevator being adapted to receive a rotate signal and a stop signal, one or more of the concentric compartments comprising an entry from the stationary compartment in a stop position and an entry into the rotating module in a rotating position. | 12-29-2016 |
244172100 | Emergency rescue means (e.g., escape pod) | 1 |
20150034770 | VENTED LAUNCH VEHICLE ADAPTOR FOR A MANNED SPACECRAFT WITH "PUSHER" LAUNCH ABORT SYSTEM - A system, method, and apparatus for a vented launch vehicle adaptor (LVA) for a manned spacecraft with a “pusher” launch abort system are disclosed. The disclosed LVA provides a structural interface between a commercial crew vehicle (CCV) crew module/service module (CM/SM) spacecraft and an expendable launch vehicle. The LVA provides structural attachment of the module to the launch vehicle. It also provides a means to control the exhaust plume from a pusher-type launch abort system that is integrated into the module. In case of an on-pad or ascent abort, which requires the module to jettison away from the launch vehicle, the launch abort system exhaust plume must be safely directed away from critical and dangerous portions of the launch vehicle in order to achieve a safe and successful jettison. | 02-05-2015 |