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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8061659 | Method for detecting complete draining of a propellant tank and for propellant management on board a satellite Using at least one pressure sensor in an emptying pipe or a feed pipe between emptying valves at the outlets from tanks and feed valves for feeding nozzles, to detect the pressure waves that result form opening and closing a feed valve, and then following operation ... | 11/22/2011 |
| 7559508 | Propellant depot in space A space transportation propellant depot has multiple locations, sources and capabilities. Maximizing known mature technologies coupled with realistic industrial techniques results in the incremental development of a propellant source on the moon. Propellant depots a... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7413148 | Remotely located cryocooler A cryocooler is located on a spacecraft bus, such as a bus box, separate from the cryogenic propellant tanks disposed on a separable and distinct propellant cartridge system spacecraft docked to the spacecraft bus. In operation, propellant may be continuously pumped... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7395832 | Fuel tank for spacecraft A fuel tank for a spacecraft stores a liquid fuel and a pressurized propellant gas that drives the fuel out of the tank through a fuel extraction arrangement including a reservoir or collection container and a tank outlet. The collection container bounds a fuel rese... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7344111 | Reversible space plane A reversible aerospace plane includes an air intake at a first end of the aerospace plane, at least one heat exchanger disposed in the aerospace plane, an engine at a second end of the aerospace plane, wherein the aerospace plane is configured to accelerate in a fir... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7267303 | Method and system for providing cruciform steered, bent biconic and plasma suppression for maximum accuracy A system for reducing plasma induced communication disruption is disclosed. The system utilizes an electrophilic gas injectant, bent reentry vehicle nose shaping and a number of flaps configured to provide 3-axis steering capability. Injecting electrophilic gas inje... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7252269 | Asymmetrical low-profile bulkhead An asymmetrical bulkhead for a pressure vessel, tank or other storage facility is disclosed. The bulkhead is configured so that there is a high region extending past a cylindrical portion of the vessel on one side of the bulkhead, with a contour of the bulkhead tran... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7237752 | System and method for reducing plasma induced communication disruption utilizing electrophilic injectant and sharp reentry vehicle nose shaping The present invention discloses a system and a method for reducing plasma induced communication disruption utilizing electrophilic injectant and sharp reentry vehicle nose shaping. Injecting electrophilic gas into plasma accomplishes reduction of plasma induced comm... | 07/03/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7198233 | Reusable orbital vehicle with interchangeable cargo modules A reusable module is affixed atop a reusable orbital vehicle (OV). Various configurations of the reusable module have identical external dimensions in the region of attachment to the OV to permit interchangeability. Different configurations can accommodate a variety... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7118077 | Platform and system for mass storage and transfer in space A platform for storage and transfer of payloads in space includes a plate for supporting a payload, and a transfer mechanism for transferring the payload to and from the plate. A groove extends diametrically between two edges of the plate for receiving a rail provid... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7114682 | System and method for transportation and storage of cargo in space A system for transportation and storage of cargo in space includes one or more platforms. The platforms are operable to hold multiple removable propellant tanks and rendezvous with one or more other platforms in space. The platforms also include one or more thruster... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7108229 | Arrangement and method for the generation of water on board an aircraft An arrangement and a method are proposed for the generation of water on board an aircraft with the use of one or more fuel cells, whereby low-temperature fuel cells are provided as fuel cells. It is proposed that several single-cell or few-cell fuel cells may... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7104507 | Very safe manned rocket and method of entertaining A rocket includes: 1) an air-breathing external combustion rocket engine including: a fuel tank configured to contain a fuel combustible with air; a working medium tank configured to contain a working medium; a combustor connected to the fuel tank and configured to ... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7080809 | Space transportation system The invention, presents a new concept of spacecraft vehicle design and method of utilization in space flight operations. The system examines the major elements of launch, to orbit flight and return format. The system relies heavily on current space flight technology... | 07/25/2006 |
| 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 |
| 6620519 | System and method for inhibiting corrosion of metal containers and components A method and system for inhibiting corrosion of aluminum and other metal-containing components and structures exposed to water is disclosed. In one embodiment, the silicate solution is used as a test fluid medium for structural testing of aluminum-alloy o... | 09/16/2003 |
| 5279484 | Manned space vehicle with low-level hydrogen-oxygen-carbon dioxide propulsion unit A manned space vehicle is described whose altitude control is achieved by constant drag compensation through the action of low level thrusters. The space vehicle include a low pressure electrolyzer that generates hydrogen and oxygen from water in a mass r... | 01/18/1994 |
| 4848806 | Redundant seal for pressure vessels A space vehicle booster has a lower section and an upper section forming a joint with a seal assembly enclosing a closed cavity. The seal assembly has an upper flange joined to the upper section, and has a lower flange joined to the lower section, and has... | 07/18/1989 |
| 4790499 | Aerospike for attachment to space vehicle system An aerospike is adapted to be attached to the front nose of an aerodynamically asymmetric space vehicle system, such as the external tank and orbiter of the space shuttle. The aerospike basically comprises a tapered elongated portion having a first end wh... | 12/13/1988 |
| 4741502 | Method and apparatus for launching a spacecraft by use of a recoverable upper rocket stage An apparatus and method for launching a spacecraft including a payload and a delivery stage having a rocket engine powered by fluid bipropellant from the earth into a high energy orbit and for recovering the delivery stage are disclosed. By reducing the d... | 05/03/1988 |
| 4722183 | Method for controlling the utilization of fluid bipropellant in a spacecraft rocket engine A method is provided for controlling the utilization of a fluid bipropellant including two respective constituents separately in respective tanks aboard a spacecraft for consumption by a spacecraft rocket engine, comprising the steps of actuating the rock... | 02/02/1988 |
| 4699339 | Apparatus and method for transporting a spacecraft and a fluid propellant from the earth to a substantially low gravity environment above the earth An apparatus for transporting a spacecraft and fluid propellant from the earth to a substantially low gravity environment above the earth with substantially reduced loading of the spacecraft due to forces upon the fluid propellant during the transport, th... | 10/13/1987 |
| 4609169 | Propellant tank resupply system A novel propellant resupply system for, and method of recharging the propellant tanks of, the attitude control system (ACS) of a spacecraft or the like are described, comprising first and second propellant conduits respectively interconnecting the outlets... | 09/02/1986 |
| 4575029 | Spacecraft for use in conjunction with a reusable space shuttle A spacecraft, and related method for its operation, for transporting a payload, such as a satellite, from a space shuttle in a low-altitude parking orbit, to an operational orbit. Housekeeping functions, such as communications, attitude control, and power... | 03/11/1986 |
| 4452412 | Space shuttle with rail system and aft thrust structure securing solid rocket boosters to external tank A space shuttle system (11) having an orbiter spacecraft (16) with main rocket engines (43) a large external propellant tank (12), and two solid rocket boosters (13,14). The propellant tank (12) has a forward pressure vessel (19) for liquid hydrogen and a... | 06/05/1984 |
| 4451017 | Three stage rocket vehicle with parallel staging A three stage rocket vehicle (11) having a large forward propellant tank (12) and a small aft propellant tank (13) axially aligned. Secured to the rear end of the aft propellant tank (13) is an engine mount structure (14) carrying rocket engines (15). Off... | 05/29/1984 |
| 3955784 | Mixed mode propulsion aerospace vehicles An aerospace vehicle incorporates within the same stage two different main propulsion systems that are operated in sequence. The first system involves the use of high density-impulse propellants, and the second system involves the use of lower density-imp... | 05/11/1976 |
