A thruster system for use in a spacecraft combines chemical and electric or electrothermal propulsion. To that end a thruster may comprise a cavity including at least one inlet to receive a first fluid and a second fluid configured to chemically react with the first fluid within the cavity to generate a reaction product. Alternatively, the cavity may be configured to receive a monopropellant configured to chemically decompose within the cavity. The thruster system further comprises an energy source coupled to the cavity and configured to heat or ionize material within the cavity by emitting electromagnetic radiation. Still further, the thruster system comprises a nozzle provided at one end of the cavity and configured to direct heated material out of the cavity to generate thrust.
A spacecraft propulsion system comprises an attitude adjustment thruster system with multiple thrusters (488a-d) receiving heated propellant via a shared thermal capacitance block (275). The thermal capacitance block (275) with integrated fluidic channels receives energy from a solar concentrator (320) and stores the heat.
A space vehicle competition management system includes an orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) and a control unit. The OTV is configured to retain space vehicles (SVs) while the OTV transfers the SVs from an initial altitude of a launch vehicle to a desired altitude, and deploy the plurality of SVs at a series of offset locations and respective times representing starting points of the competition. Furthermore, the control unit is configured to receive signals indicative of waypoint arrival times for one or more of the SVs at one or more waypoints along a course of the competition, and compute one or more metrics indicative of relative performance of the plurality of SVs in the competition.
A spacecraft propulsion system comprises an attitude adjustment thruster system with multiple thrusters (488a-d) receiving heated propellant via a shared thermal capacitance block (275). The thermal capacitance block (275) receives energy from a solar concentrator (320) and stores the heat.
A method for managing propellant in a spacecraft is disclosed. The method includes storing liquid propellant in a tank under an operating pressure controlled using a product of chemical decomposition of the propellant. The method may include transferring the liquid propellant out of the tank and chemically decomposing a portion of it using, for example electrolysis. Thus generated one or more gas components may be introduced to the tank to control the operating pressure in the tank.
In a spacecraft for operating a thruster that includes a microwave source, a resonant cavity, and a source of propellant which the thruster converts to hot gas and directs via a nozzle to generate thrust, a method includes operating the thruster in an ignition mode in which the microwave source outputs power at a first rate, and operating the thruster in a propulsion mode in which the microwave source outputs power at a second rate higher than the first rate.
A system for harvesting solar energy on a spacecraft includes a stiff substrate layer and a working layer disposed on the substrate layer to provide at least one of a photovoltaic or a reflective function. In a first operational state, the substrate layer is arranged as a tape spring to store potential energy which causes the substrate layer to uncoil and provide, in a second operational state, a photovoltaic module and/or a solar concentrator.
A system for harvesting solar energy on a spacecraft includes a stiff substrate layer (205) and a working layer (208) disposed on the substrate layer (205) to provide at least one of a photovoltaic or a reflective function. In a first operational state, the substrate layer (205) is arranged as a tape spring to store potential energy which causes the substrate layer to uncoil and provide, in a second operational state, a photovoltaic module and/or a solar concentrator.
In a method of facilitating flight operations, a payload is coupled to a spacecraft via a payload interface. The relative alignment of the payload and the spacecraft is dynamically adjusted (e.g., for thrust alignment) while the payload remains coupled to the spacecraft.
To manage propellant in a spacecraft, the method of this disclosure includes storing propellant in a tank as a mixture of liquid and gas; transferring the propellant out of the tank; converting the mixture of liquid and gas propellant into a single phase, where the single phase is either liquid or gaseous; and supplying the single phase of the propellant to a thruster.
An integrated communication and ranging system for use on a spacecraft includes: a laser module configured to emit at least one beam, a pointing module configured to direct the at least one beam toward a ground station and toward an object in space, and a detector module configured to detect a scattered portion of the at least one beam. The system further includes a control module configured to operate the pointing module to (i) transmit data to the ground station using the at least one beam and (ii) determine, using the detector module, a distance between the spacecraft and the object using the at least one beam.
An integrated communication and ranging system for use on a spacecraft includes: a laser module configured to emit at least one beam, a pointing module configured to direct the at least one beam toward a ground station and toward an object in space, and a detector module configured to detect a scattered portion of the at least one beam. The system further includes a control module configured to operate the pointing module to (i) transmit data to the ground station using the at least one beam and (ii) determine, using the detector module, a distance between the spacecraft and the object using the at least one beam.
The disclosed propulsion system of a space vehicle and the methods of operating the propulsion system use a microwave energy source to heat propellant in a propellant chamber that pierces and traverses a waveguide carrying the microwave energy. In some implementations, the microwave energy ionizes and further heats the propellant in the propellant chamber. The partially ionized and heated propellant may exit the propellant chamber via a nozzle to generate thrust.
A spacecraft propulsion system comprises two thrusters, each operating in accordance to a corresponding propulsion technique. A controller is configured to direct collected solar energy to heat a propellant for consumption in one of the two thrusters, or to generate electric energy for the other one of the two thrusters.
A multi-mode thruster system for use in a spacecraft includes a microwave source; a cavity coupled to the microwave source and including a first inlet to receive a first fluid and a second inlet to receive a second fluid; and a nozzle provided at one end of the cavity. The thruster operates in a microwave electrothermal thruster (MET) mode to (i) generate a standing wave in the cavity using the microwave source and (ii) raise a temperature of the first fluid to generate a first hot gas that exits the cavity via the nozzle to generate thrust. The thruster operates in a chemical propulsion mode to (i) produce a reduction-oxidation reaction between the first fluid and the second fluid and (ii) generate a second hot gas that exits the cavity via the nozzle to generate thrust.
A thruster system for use in a spacecraft includes a microwave source, a resonant cavity coupled to the microwave source, wherein the microwave source is configured to generate a standing wave field in the resonant cavity, a nozzle provided at one end of the resonant cavity; and at least one injector configured to inject propellant into the resonant cavity so as to create a rotating circumferential flow. The standing wave field raises a temperature of the injected propellant to provide thrust by way of a hot gas exiting the resonant cavity via the nozzle.
A spacecraft structure for transporting propellant to be consumed by a thruster includes storing the propellant in the spacecraft in a solid state during at least a portion of a take-off procedure and supplying the propellant to the thruster in a liquid or vaporous state when the spacecraft is in space.
To manage propellant in a spacecraft, the method of this disclosure includes storing propellant in a tank as a mixture of liquid and gas; transferring the propellant out of the tank; converting the mixture of liquid and gas propellant into a single phase, where the single phase is either liquid or gaseous; and supplying the single phase of the propellant to a thruster.
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(Based on Use in Commerce) Launch and placement in prescribed orbit of satellites of others; Launching of spacecraft in the nature of satellites for others (Based on Intent to Use) development of spacecraft for others
