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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 4854526 | Spacecraft design enabling the compact nesting of multiple spacecraft in the launch vehicle A spacecraft (100) such as a satellite, is shaped roughly in the form of a cup with a hollow inner cavity (106) such that a plurality of such spacecraft may be stowed for launch in a nested stack (204), thereby enabling a greater number of satellites to b... | 08/08/1989 |
| 4846425 | Method and apparatus for atomic beam irradiation Method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically and remotely removing unwanted organic films from surfaces of vehicles and satellites in space. A particle beam generator (12) draws molecular oxygen from an on-board supply chamber (14) and develops a ... | 07/11/1989 |
| 4842223 | Hatch cover A hatch cover system including an ellipitcal port opening (12) in a housing (10) and an elliptical cover member (18) supported centrally by a rotational bearing (53) for rotation about a rotational axis (54) normal to the cover member and by pivot pins (5... | 06/27/1989 |
| 4825599 | Space structures formable in space A space structure which is formed in space. The structure is comprised of an expandable, flexible, generally non-elastic, impervious mold which is arranged in a collapsed state in a container which separates in space to expose the mold to the space enviro... | 05/02/1989 |
| 4817894 | Hermetic feedthrough change-out module device and method for use in a pressurized spacecraft hull A hermetic feedthrough change-out module device which can be mounted on a wall of a pressurized vessel includes a mounting base ring attached to the pressurized vessel wall about an access opening therein, and a feedthrough seal module removably mated in ... | 04/04/1989 |
| 4753506 | Off axis optical communication system An improved optical rotary joint is achieved by transmitting information in the form of an optical signal from a part of the de-spun portion outside the rotational axis to create on the spun portion, or vice versa, 360° about the rotational axis, a conti... | 06/28/1988 |
| 4738583 | Space spider crane A space spider crane 15 is provided for the movement, placement, and/or assembly of various components on or in the vicinity of a space structure 120. Space spider crane 15 is comprised of a small central body 16 to which manipulators 24 and legs 25 are a... | 04/19/1988 |
| 4725023 | Shading device for use in a geostatic satellite A geostatic satellite comprises a spinning drum for stabilization which spins around an axis of rotation which is parallel to the axis of the earth. A paddle member loaded with solar cells is directly rotatable about the same axis and is controlled such t... | 02/16/1988 |
| 4723734 | Space ultra-vacuum facility and method of operation A wake shield space processing facility (10) for maintaining ultra-high levels of vacuum is described. The wake shield (12) is a truncated hemispherical section having a convex side (14) and a concave side (24). Material samples (68) to be processed are l... | 02/09/1988 |
| 4712155 | Method and apparatus for creating an artificial electron cyclotron heating region of plasma A method and apparatus altering a region of plasma that lies above the earth's surface at altitudes (e.g. below 50 kilometer) where the collison rate of the electrons in the plasma is originally greater than the cyclotron frequency of the electrons. First... | 12/08/1987 |
| 4690354 | Geostationary communications satellite A geostationary sun oriented communications satellite has an operational module with a payload platform rotating at one r.p. day. The antenna components are mounted on the platform. The antenna components are so oriented relative to each other and to the ... | 09/01/1987 |
| 4686605 | Method and apparatus for altering a region in the earth's atmosphere, ionosphere, and/or magnetosphere A method and apparatus for altering at least one selected region which normally exists above the earth's surface. The region is excited by electron cyclotron resonance heating to thereby increase its charged particle density. In one embodiment, circularly... | 08/11/1987 |
| 4682744 | Spacecraft structure A tubular circular cylindrical member, an attached frustro-conical member, and attached annular stiffening rings are formed of a metal matrix composite (MMC) material such as SiC/Al. The combined cylindrical and conical structure has a tapered wall thickn... | 07/28/1987 |
| 4667907 | Space based orbit transfer vehicle Disclosed is an orbital space transfer vehicle comprises essentially a composite hollow cylindrical body structure enclosing a spherical oxygen tank suspended and spaced from the inner wall of the cylindrical body structure, a hollow toroidal hydrogen tan... | 05/26/1987 |
| 4533100 | Mounting device for supporting a component, especially a mirror or an antenna reflector in a spacecraft The invention relates to a mounting device for supporting a component, especially a mirror or an antenna reflector in a spacecraft. The device comprises a combination of flexible blades disposed between the support, and between the intermediate piece and ... | 08/06/1985 |
| 4483570 | Magnetic bearing arrangement for an artificial satellite A magnetic bearing arrangement for rotor for controlling the attitude of an artificial satellite wherein the rotor has a rotating speed and an axis of rotation which are adjusted in accordance with a change in the attitude of the satellite. The arrangemen... | 11/20/1984 |
| 4465951 | Backup bearing and power transfer assembly for communication satellite A bearing and power transfer assembly which includes a main bearing and auxiliary bearing for coupling a spun and despun shelf. The main bearing has a stator connected to the spun shelf, and a motor driven rotor connected to the stator of the auxiliary be... | 08/14/1984 |
| 4402480 | Atmosphere modification satellite The Atmosphere Modification Satellite is intended to be the beginning of a possible world-wide network of satellites designed to improve Earth through application of techniques and monitoring resulting in atmosphere modification. Energy sources of said sa... | 09/06/1983 |
| 4397434 | Survivable satellite bus structural frame A three-sided prism shaped structure including upper and lower graphite/epoxy honeycomb sandwich decks spaced by rectangular graphite/epoxy longerons and braces, all of which are attached by using machined aluminum fittings. A graphite/epoxy sandwich pane... | 08/09/1983 |
| 4384692 | Satellite system configuration A new satellite system configuration is comprised of a power module with rigidly attached solar arrays and a control module including a sun pointing unit, an earth pointing unit and a rotary interface. The power module is attached to one face of the sun p... | 05/24/1983 |
| 4374579 | Spacecraft configuration permitting a continuous three-axes attitude control A spacecraft configuration including a service module which carries optical stabilizing equipment for stabilizing the spacecraft relative to two inertially fixed targets together with solar arrays rigidly attached thereto so as to extend in the orbital pl... | 02/22/1983 |
| 4299066 | Dome structure having at least one environmentally isolatable compartment A dome structure having a plurality of isolatable and preferably environmentally isolatable and inhabitable compartments. These inhabitable compartments are preferably capable of generating an environmental condition capable of supporting animal life and ... | 11/10/1981 |
| 4042196 | Method and apparatus for triggering a substantial change in earth characteristics and measuring earth changes There is disclosed method and apparatus for triggering a substantial change in ionospheric characteristics of the earth and measuring certain selected characteristics of the earth. Substantial energetic particle precipitation is triggered through injectio... | 08/16/1977 |
