A method, apparatus, and system are provided for the printing and maturation of living tissue in an Earth-referenced reduced gravity environment such as that found on a spacecraft or on other celestial bodies. The printing may be three-dimensional structures. The printed structures may be manufactured from low viscosity biomaterials.

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for the printing and maturation of living tissue in an Earth-referenced reduced gravity environment such as that found on a spacecraft or on other celestial bodies. The printing may be three-dimensional structures. The printed structures may be manufactured from low viscosity biomaterials.

The present invention relates to ground support equipment for aerospace engineering, and particularly relates to an assembly and test operation robot for a space station experimental cabinet. The assembly and test operation robot comprises a mobile lifting platform, a comprehensive monitoring system, a rotating clamping mechanism, a multifunctional adapter and a science experimental cabinetet, wherein the mobile lifting platform is used for regulating the horizontal position and the height position of the science experimental cabinetet to realize assembly and transportation functions of the experimental cabinet; the rotating clamping mechanism is installed on the mobile lifting platform to realize clamping and rotation functions of the science experimental cabinet; the multifunctional adapter is installed on the rotating clamping mechanism to carry the science experimental cabinet; and the comprehensive monitoring system is used to monitor the assembly state of the science experimental cabinet in real time. The present invention realizes integrated operation functions of transportation, flipping, assembly and parking in the ground assembly and test process of the space station experimental cabinet, so as to achieve the purpose of safe, efficient and accurate assembly and test of the space station experimental cabinet.

A projectile intended for damping a spacecraft (100) comprising a main body (110) and active attitude control means (150) comprises a harpoon and is intended to equip a space delivery vehicle to be projected towards the spacecraft. It comprises a passive damper (200) mounted such that it is fixed on the harpoon and suitable for generating, in cooperation with the Earth's magnetic field, a damping torque. That passive damper (200) comprises an outer enclosure (210) and an inner body (220) configured such that: the inner body, permanently magnetized, is positioned inside the outer enclosure and is capable of moving in rotation about at least one axis of rotation, the outer enclosure and the inner body comprise respectively an inner surface and an outer surface, separated by means of a viscous fluid, the outer enclosure is fixed to the main body of the spacecraft for rotation therewith once the harpoon is secured to the main body.

A projectile intended for damping a spacecraft (100) comprising a main body (110) and active attitude control means (150) comprises a harpoon and is intended to equip a space delivery vehicle to be projected towards the spacecraft. It comprises a passive damper (200) mounted such that it is fixed on the harpoon and suitable for generating, in cooperation with the Earth's magnetic field, a damping torque. That passive damper (200) comprises an outer enclosure (210) and an inner body (220) configured such that: the inner body, permanently magnetized, is positioned inside the outer enclosure and is capable of moving in rotation about at least one axis of rotation, the outer enclosure and the inner body comprise respectively an inner surface and an outer surface, separated by means of a viscous fluid, the outer enclosure is fixed to the main body of the spacecraft for rotation therewith once the harpoon is secured to the main body.

A method for manufacturing in space a rigid structure having a lattice is disclosed. The method includes creating of at least two framework elements from a coil of metal strip or wire, and creating of the lattice by cold-connecting the framework elements.

A method for manufacturing in space a rigid structure having a lattice is disclosed. The method includes creating of at least two framework elements from a coil of metal strip or wire, and creating of the lattice by cold-connecting the framework elements.

A spacecraft includes a plurality of deployable module elements, at least one of the deployable module elements including a robotic manipulator, the spacecraft being reconfigurable from a launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration. In the launch configuration, the deployable module elements are disposed in a launch vehicle in a first arrangement. In the on-orbit configuration, the deployable module elements are disposed in a second configuration. The spacecraft is self-assembled by the robotic manipulator reconfiguring the spacecraft from the launch configuration, through a transition configuration, to the on-orbit configuration. The deployable module elements may be in a stacked arrangement in the launch configuration and may be in a side-by-side arrangement in the on-orbit configuration.

A spacecraft includes a plurality of deployable module elements, at least one of the deployable module elements including a robotic manipulator, the spacecraft being reconfigurable from a launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration. In the launch configuration, the deployable module elements are disposed in a launch vehicle in a first arrangement. In the on-orbit configuration, the deployable module elements are disposed in a second configuration. The spacecraft is self-assembled by the robotic manipulator reconfiguring the spacecraft from the launch configuration, through a transition configuration, to the on-orbit configuration. The deployable module elements may be in a stacked arrangement in the launch configuration and may be in a side-by-side arrangement in the on-orbit configuration.

A spacecraft includes a main body structure and a plurality of deployable modular reflector elements, the spacecraft being reconfigurable from a launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration. In the launch configuration, the modular reflector elements are disposed in a storage system that includes an arrangement for supporting the modular reflector elements with respect to dynamic launch loads. In the on-orbit configuration, in some implementations, an assembly of the plurality of modular reflector elements forms a large-aperture, offset fed, reflector, the reflector being coupled with a boom or yoke with the main body structure by way of a two or three axis positioning mechanism configured to steer the reflector with respect to the main body structure. In some implementations, in the on-orbit configuration, the plurality of modular reflector elements are assembled to form a large aperture reflective surface that is self-supporting.