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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8186628 | Multi-axis articulated solar light shade for space-based sensors In one or more embodiments, a multi-axis articulated solar light shade that protects elements of a space-based sensor from direct solar illumination includes a base; a partial conical baffle tube having a first end portion, a second end portion, an elongated curved ... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8016241 | Self supporting cellular thermal acoustic insulation In one embodiment, a device includes first and second frames members, and a foam insulation member having first and seconds ends. At least one of the first and second ends is disposed at an angle greater than 0 degrees relative to a vertical plane. The first and sec... | 09/13/2011 |
| 7946534 | Pressure vessel having continuous sidewall A spacecraft pressure vessel has a tub member. A sidewall member is coupled to the tub member so that a bottom section of the sidewall member extends from an attachment intersection with the tub member and away from the tub member. The bottom section of the sidewall... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7934685 | Methods to actively protect spacecraft from damage due to collision with ions A technique whereby one or more conducting plates electrically-biased negatively with respect to a spacecraft's electrical potential and insulated from the spacecraft surface are located around the spacecraft surface whereby contaminant ions in a plasma surrounding ... | 05/03/2011 |
| 7878456 | Protective shield assembly for space optics and associated methods A protective shield assembly capable of being deployed from a launch vehicle is provided, and methods for assembling and deploying the protective shield assembly are also provided. The protective shield assembly includes a shroud, and a flexible sheet of material wi... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7780118 | Radiation shield A radiation shield for use with a manned spacecraft is claimed. The shield has a container that is substantially filled with a substantially radiation absorbing material. The container has attachment members that cooperate with corresponding attachment members on th... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7703721 | Regolith container for use with a structure on an extraterrestrial mass A regolith container for use with regolith on an extraterrestrial mass is disclosed. The filled container covers a portion of a spacecraft to provide the spacecraft with a measure of protection against space debris and radiation. The container can be compartmentaliz... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7673833 | Protective shield assembly for space optics and associated methods A protective shield assembly capable of being deployed from a launch vehicle is provided, and methods for assembling and deploying the protective shield assembly are also provided. The protective shield assembly includes a shroud, and a flexible sheet of material wi... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7661628 | Catalyzed decomposing structural payload foam and method of using same A high energy, e.g., ultraviolet (UV), catalyzed decomposing foam encapsulating a payload to be boosted in space provides an ultra-light weight, adaptable means to facilitate survival of much lighter, smaller satellites and space hardware under boost environment. Th... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7637461 | Approaches to actively protect spacecraft from damage due to collisions with ions A method whereby one or more conducting plates electrically-biased negatively with respect to a spacecraft's electrical potential and insulated from the spacecraft surface are located around the spacecraft surface whereby contaminant ions in a plasma surrounding the... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7578482 | Catalyzed decomposing structural payload foam A high energy, e.g., ultraviolet (UV), catalyzed decomposing foam encapsulating a payload to be boosted in space provides an ultra-light weight, adaptable means to facilitate survival of much lighter, smaller satellites and space hardware under boost environment. Th... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7506841 | Catalyzed decomposing foam for encapsulating space-based kinetic objects A high energy, e.g., ultraviolet (UV) catalyzed decomposing foam encapsulating kinetic media forms a payload to be boosted in space and provides an ultra-light weight means for intercepting an incoming missile or other target. The decomposed foam releases the kineti... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7484691 | Method and device for magnetic space radiation shield providing isotropic protection There is provided a radiation shield device for providing radiation protection to an area, such as a manned vehicle. The radiation shield device comprises a magnetic field generator, such as a solenoid, of superconductive material that provides a magnetic field arou... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7464900 | Folding retractable protective dome for space vehicle equipment A folding, retractable dome for protecting a feature, such as a docking mechanism, a hatch or other equipment at an exterior surface of a space vehicle, includes a plurality of arcuate ribs, each having opposite ends respectively pinioned at opposite sides of the fe... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7464901 | Method and device for magnetic space radiation shield There is provided a radiation shield device for providing radiation protection to an area, such as a manned vehicle. The radiation shield device comprises a magnetic field generator, such as a solenoid, of superconductive material that provides a magnetic field arou... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7401752 | Protective shield assembly for space optics and associated methods A protective shield assembly capable of being deployed from a launch vehicle is provided, and methods for assembling and deploying the protective shield assembly are also provided. The protective shield assembly includes a shroud, and a flexible sheet of material wi... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7381459 | Toughened uni-piece, fibrous, reinforced, oxidization-resistant composite A composite thermal protection structure, for applications such as atmospheric re-entry vehicles, that can withstand temperatures as high as 3600° F. The structure includes an exposed surface cap having a specially formulated coating, an insulator base adjacent to ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7377469 | Heat shield The invention discloses systems for mounting heat shields onto a spacecraft. It shows a number of ways to attach heat shield tiles in a way that allows for and accommodates the thermal expansion and contraction of the tiles without overstressing them and without loo... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7350450 | Armor structures An armor structure includes first and second layers individually containing a plurality of i-beams. Individual i-beams have a pair of longitudinal flanges interconnected by a longitudinal crosspiece and defining opposing longitudinal channels between the pair of fla... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7314648 | Toughened uni-piece, fibrous, reinforced, oxidization-resistant composite A composite thermal protection structure, for applications such as atmospheric re-entry vehicles, that can withstand temperatures as high as 3600° F. The structure includes an exposed surface cap having a specially formulated coating, an insulator base adjacent to ... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7309049 | Orbital debris shield An orbital debris shield for protecting the hull of a spacecraft. The shield is comprised of a number of flexible and releasably attached gores that substantially cover the hull. Interleafed between layers of the gores are layers of a spacing material. As debris col... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7296769 | Cryogenic fuel tank insulation assembly A cryogenic fuel tank assembly 10 is provided comprising a cryogenic fuel tank wall 22. A foam assembly 24 is affixed to the cryogenic fuel tank wall 22, the foam assembly 24 having an inner surface 30 and an outer surface | 11/20/2007 |
| 7281688 | Materials for self-transpiring hot skins for hypersonic vehicles or reusable space vehicles A self-transpiring hot skin for a hypersonic or reusable space vehicle that can provide protection to the vehicle during short periods of abnormally high heat flux (either planned in the flight profile or an off-nominal event). The hot skin includes a ceramic compos... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7278609 | Movable nose cap and control strut assembly for supersonic aircraft A nose cap and control strut assembly for supersonic aircraft is disclosed. In one embodiment, the nose cap extends forward from the nose of the aircraft to deflect shock waves and decrease draft during supersonic flight. In another embodiment, control struts extend... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7275720 | Actively cooled ceramic thermal protection system An apparatus and method for thermal protection is provided. A thermal protection apparatus includes a porous layer attached to an inner structural member requiring thermal protection. The porous layer serves as both a cooling air plenum and a transpiring medium. The... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7270301 | Surface optical reflector, for space craft such as a geostationary satellite Optical surface reflector, for a spacecraft such as a geostationary satellite. The exterior surface (10) of the reflector comprises a plurality of facets (14) inclined to each other and to the interior surface (12) of the reflector. The f... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7219859 | Multipurpose modular spacecraft A reentry vehicle includes a nose section, a modular section comprised of two or more connected modules, a flared section. The nose section is connected to a first end of the modular section, and the flared section is positioned proximate a second end of the modular... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7216833 | In orbit space transportation and recovery system An In Orbit Transportation & Recovery System (IOSTAR™) (10). One preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a space tug powered by a nuclear reactor (19). The IOSTAR™ includes a collapsible boom (11) connected at one end to a pr... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7213497 | Inflatable trajectory altering and blast energy absorption system An inflatable trajectory altering and blast energy absorption system has a plenum with walls that are spaced apart from one another when the plenum is inflated. Flexible members, dispersed in the plenum and coupled thereto, are placed in tension when the plenum is i... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7204460 | Orbital debris shield An orbital debris shield for protecting the hull of a spacecraft is claimed. The shield is comprised of a number of flexible and releasably attached gores that substantially cover the hull. Interleafed between layers of the gores are layers of a spacing material. As... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7198231 | Method of applying ablative insulation coatings and articles obtained therefrom A method of forming ablative insulation coatings on aerospace structures and articles produced thereby. The method includes forming a mold having a cavity configured to complementarily receive at least a portion of the structure and directly molding the ablative coa... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7159824 | Device and method for on-orbit calibration verification of an infrared sensor A device for verifying the calibration of an infrared sensor includes a body configured to be placed in orbit. The body defines a spin axis and an outer surface. The outer surface has an infrared radiant intensity that is substantially independent of the viewing ang... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7093799 | Guided missile having a jettisoned protective cap A guided missile having a longitudinally extending airframe with a tip, a seeker head arranged in the tip and a window located in front of the seeker head for closing the airframe at the tip so as to protect the seeker head. A jettisonable protective cap consisting ... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7083147 | Modularized insulation, systems, apparatus, and methods Modularized insulation blanket for thermal and/or acoustical insulation. The modularized insulation blanket has a cover formed of a distal layer and proximal layer in sealed mated relationship. The distal and proximal layers are sealed along longitudinal and latitud... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7070151 | In orbit space transportation and recovery system An In Orbit Transportation & Recovery System (IOSTAR™) (10) One preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a space tug powered by a nuclear reactor (19). The IOSTAR™ includes a collapsible boom (11) connected at one end to a pro... | 07/04/2006 |
| 6974109 | Apparatus for sealing and restraining the flexible pressure boundary of an inflatable spacecraft The present invention provides a sealing and restraint apparatus to establish a pressure boundary for inflatable or expandable spacecraft. The apparatus is capable of connecting the flexible pressure boundary of an inflatable spacecraft to the rigid structure of the... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6695261 | Shock isolation system for spacecraft fairing A launch vehicle assembly has a launch vehicle body (10) having a first slot (48a) therein. A first magnet (50a) is disposed within the first slot (43a). A fairing assembly (12) is positioned adjacent to the vehicle body (10). The fairing assembly (12) ha... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6679456 | Spacecraft protected by a coating including pyroelectric/ferroelectric particles, and the coating material A spacecraft protected by a coating comprises a spacecraft having an external surface, and a coating on the external surface of the spacecraft. The coating includes a binder that is an organic material or an inorganic material, and a plurality of pyroelec... | 01/20/2004 |
| 6663051 | Thermal protection structure A thermal protection structure includes a thermal protection layer formed by impregnating reinforcing fibers with a matrix resin, a gas-pervious wear-resistant layer formed of a heat-resistant material and laminated on the outer surface to be exposed to h... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6637700 | Spacecraft protected by a coating including pyroelectric/ferroelectric particles, and the coating material A spacecraft protected by a coating includes a spacecraft such as a communications satellite has an external surface and a coating on the external surface of the spacecraft. The coating is formed of a binder, and a plurality of pyroelectric/ferroelectric ... | 10/28/2003 |
