A method and apparatus for forming a joint. A composite insert may be placed into a joint region for a first structure. The composite insert may comprise a structure having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion all extending from a junction; and a resin impregnated into the structure to form the composite insert. The second structure may be laid up. The composite insert may be bonded to the first structure and the second structure.

A spacecraft. The spacecraft includes a rocket engine; a first stage connected to the rocket engine; and a payload stage connected to the first stage. The spacecraft also includes a payload structure inside the payload stage between a first compartment of the payload stage and a second compartment of the payload stage. The payload structure may be a single shell that has a corrugated shape such that an inside surface and an outside surface of the payload structure vary in shape to form the corrugations.

A system is used for additively manufacturing propellant elements, such as for rocket motors, includes partially curing a propellant mixture before extruding or otherwise dispensing the material, such that the extruded propellant material is deposited on the element in a partially-cured state. The curing process for the partially-cured extruded material may be completed shortly after the material is put into place, for example by the material being heated at or above its cure temperature, such that it finishes curing before it fully cools. The propellant material may be prepared by first mixing together, a fuel, an oxidizer, and a binder, such as in an acoustic mixer. After that mixing a curative may be added to the mixture. The propellant mixture may then be directed to an extruder (or other dispenser), in which the mixture is heated to or above a cure temperature prior to the deposition, and then deposited.

A self-mating modular satellite bus includes a plurality of side panels each having a front surface flanked by a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, wherein the first longitudinal edge of each side panel is nested with the second longitudinal edge of an adjacent side panel. The longitudinal edges, when superimposed, form a joggle. A method of producing the modular satellite bus includes forming a plurality of the panels, aligning the first longitudinal edge of each side panel with the second longitudinal edge of an adjacent side panel, such that the first longitudinal edge of each side panel is nested with the second longitudinal edge of the adjacent side panel, and securing the first longitudinal edge of each side panel to the second longitudinal edge of the adjacent side panel.

A self-mating modular satellite bus includes a plurality of side panels each having a front surface flanked by a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, wherein the first longitudinal edge of each side panel is nested with the second longitudinal edge of an adjacent side panel. The longitudinal edges, when superimposed, form a joggle. A method of producing the modular satellite bus includes forming a plurality of the panels, aligning the first longitudinal edge of each side panel with the second longitudinal edge of an adjacent side panel, such that the first longitudinal edge of each side panel is nested with the second longitudinal edge of the adjacent side panel, and securing the first longitudinal edge of each side panel to the second longitudinal edge of the adjacent side panel.

A satellite configuration includes a plurality of individual satellite buses each having a number of side panels that form a polygonal shape, where the individual satellite buses collectively fit together to form the satellite configuration having a regular polygon shape. A method of producing the satellite configuration includes forming a plurality of individual satellite buses each having a polygonal shape, and fitting the individual satellite buses together to form the satellite configuration in a regular polygonal shape.

Disclosed herein is a method. The method includes identifying a first location on a first part to place a first shim tab to form a first portion of a compound shim. The method also includes applying the first shim tab to the first location on the first part with an end-effector. The method also includes identifying a second location directly adjacent to the first location on the first part to place a second shim tab. The method also includes applying the second shim tab to the second location on the first part with the end-effector to form a second portion of the compound shim. The method also includes applying a third shim tab to the second shim tab at the second location to increase a thickness of the second portion of the compound shim.

A method for joining two components of a meltable material comprises the steps of providing a first component having a first border region and a second component having a second border region, placing the second component relative to the first component so as to form an overlap between the first border region and the second border region under a gap between the first border region and the second border region, continuously heating opposed sections of the first border region and the second border region at the same time through at least one energy source arranged in the gap at least partially, continuously providing a relative motion of the at least one energy source along the first border region and the second border region in the gap, and continuously pressing already heated sections of the first border region and the second border region onto each other.

The present invention is directed to the production of shipping containers, computer server farm containers, and other forms of physical storage containers from a carbon nanotube-based fiber material with the potential application of other, non-carbon, nano-based materials containing various structures. Current materials used for shipping containers, computer server farm containers, and other forms of physical storage containers are heavier than the present invention and lack the ability to withstand high-intensity shock vibrations and other disturbances and are vulnerable to radiofrequency (RF) radiation. Instead of using metal, which is the currently preferred material used in the development of shipping containers, computer server farm containers, and other forms of physical storage containers, the present invention provides the use of a carbon nanotube-based material.

An additive manufacturing device for an aerospace truss includes a raw material input unit, a longitudinal beam forming unit, a longitudinal beam traction unit, a cross beam forming unit and a truss support unit. The raw material input unit stores pre-impregnated wires and pre-impregnated tapes, and a motor drives rollers to convey the pre-impregnated wires and the pre-impregnated tapes forward; the longitudinal beam forming unit is composed of three sets of forming molds, and the pre-impregnated tapes form V-shaped longitudinal beams through heating molds; a stepper motor used in the longitudinal beam traction unit drives three sets of roller traction devices through steering gears to pull formed longitudinal beams; the cross beam forming unit is composed of a motion module and a printing module, and a truss cross beam is printed through a 3D printing method of molten deposition.