A control system for controlling the operation of a plurality of micro thrusters arranged in a plurality of parallel horizontal rows and a plurality of parallel vertical columns, the control system requires a power source, a first plurality of power lines connected to the power source and coupled to at least one micro thruster of the plurality of micro thrusters in a horizontal row of the plurality of parallel horizontal rows, a second plurality of power lines connected to the power source and coupled to at least one micro thruster of the plurality of micro thrusters in a vertical column of the plurality of parallel vertical columns, and a control unit coupled to the power source to control activation of the first plurality of power lines and activation of the second plurality of power lines.

The present invention discloses systems and methods for electromagnetic spacecraft propulsion or thrust generation without the expulsion of reaction mass. The systems include capacitor assemblies with a switch-controlled conductive discharge path, a means of charging the capacitor assemblies, a means of generating magnetic fields using electromagnetic coils, and a means for periodically shaping the intensity, duration and polarity of magnetic fields from the coils. Thrust is generated through the interaction of the shaped magnetic fields and the segmented current in the conductive discharge path during capacitor discharge.

An electromagnetic energy momentum thruster has a cavity resonator and an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting an electromagnetic wave in evanescence into the cavity resonator. The electromagnetic wave produces a greater electromagnetic field amplitude and a greater electromagnetic radiation pressure on a primary interior surface area of the cavity resonator than on a secondary interior surface area of the cavity resonator. The difference between the electromagnetic field amplitude on the primary interior surface area and on the secondary interior surface area of the cavity resonator forms a highly directional electromagnetic energy momentum tensor and provides a highly directional general relativistic metric tensor. As a result, a force is produced on the cavity resonator in the form of a thrust or an acceleration that propels the device in a direction substantially perpendicular to the primary interior surface area.

Omnivorous solar thermal thrusters and adjustable cooling structures are disclosed. In one aspect, a solar thermal rocket engine includes a solar thermal thruster configured to receive solar energy and one or more propellants, and heat the one or more propellants using the solar energy to generate thrust. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use a plurality of different propellant types, either singly or in combination simultaneously. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use the one or more propellants in both liquid and gaseous states. Related structures can include valves and variable-geometry cooling channels in thermal contact with a thruster wall.

A filtering apparatus formed by a plurality of channel systems. Each of the channel systems include an inlet port formed on an inlet side of the plate; no more than one outlet port formed on an outlet side of the plate; and a channel formed in the plate, the channel coupled to the inlet port and to the outlet port, wherein the ratio of the product of the capture area of the inlet ports of a channel system with the first transmissivity associated with the inlet ports to the product of the capture area of the outlet ports of a channel system with the second transmissivity associated with the outlet ports is greater than one. The channel system is configured to interact with objects of interest on a scale which is smaller than a value several orders of magnitude larger than the mean free path of an object of interest. Some plate embodiments are configured to interact with particles, such as air molecules, water molecules, or aerosols. Other plate embodiments are configured to interact with waves or wavelike particles, such as electrons, photons, phonons or acoustic waves.

Described hereafter is a device for the conversion of electromagnetic momentum into mechanical momentum to be used in airless environment. The device is built from rotating disk, made of non-magnetic material, on the circumference of which plurality of bar magnets are mounted. The bar magnets are in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the disk and in a plane, which is perpendicular to the radius of the disk that meets the centre of the bar magnet. The disk is driven by a motor that causes it to rotate. The magnets are positioned in an angle relative to the rotation axis of the disk. When the disk rotates, mechanical momentum, perpendicular to the plane of the rotating disk is generated. This momentum acts on the disk and causes it to move along the axis of rotation of the disk.

Described hereafter is a device for the conversion of electromagnetic momentum into mechanical momentum to be used in airless environment. The device is built from rotating disk, made of non-magnetic material, on the circumference of which plurality of bar magnets are mounted. The bar magnets are in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the disk and in a plane, which is perpendicular to the radius of the disk that meets the centre of the bar magnet. The disk is driven by a motor that causes it to rotate. The magnets are positioned in an angle relative to the rotation axis of the disk. When the disk rotates, mechanical momentum, perpendicular to the plane of the rotating disk is generated. This momentum acts on the disk and causes it to move along the axis of rotation of the disk.

The invention relates to an electromagnetic toroidal impeller in the field of physics applied to electromagnetism. The invention comprises a cylindrical arrangement of superconducting antennas (9) which are separated by a dielectric (8) over a superconducting cylindrical plate (7) and exposed in a resonant cavity (6). The radiation in the cavity is incident on the force ring having a superconducting surface (4) containing ferrite (11), the coolant (5) introduced through the pipes (1) flowing through the toroidal interior of same. The force received in the ring (4) is transmitted via the supporting members (3) to the support (2). The cavity is thermally insulated with insulation (12) and is cooled with the liquid (10) through the pipes (14). The invention provides a device capable of generating driving force from the conversion of the energy available in electromagnetic waves that are contained in a resonant cavity.

A transportation network for providing propellant in space can include optical mining vehicles that concentrate solar energy to spall captured asteroids, capture released volatiles, and store them in reservoirs as propellants. The network can also have orbital transfer vehicles that use solar thermal rocket modules that focus solar energy on heat exchangers to force propellant through nozzles, as well as separable aeromaneuvering tanker modules with reusable heatshields and storage tanks. The network can have propellant depots positioned between Earth and a transport destination. The depots can mechanically couple to accept propellant delivery and to supply it to visiting space vehicles.

The operation of the ultra-high frequency (UHF) electromagnetic motor or thruster, is based on generating extremely short and powerful electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic field pulses and separating (unrooting) or disassociating said field pulses from the originating source, so that subsequently the emitting device and a device that is the objective or target, a support structure that supports both devices and another elements connected to said support structure are for an instant disassociated from the field, waiting for the pulsed field to reach the objective or target. At that moment, the element emits a field with a polarization that allows the exertion of a force that attracts or repels the field pulse, with respect to the objective or target and consequently with respect to the motor of which they form part as a unit, both the emitter and the target being joined by a support structure.