A spacecraft sunshade is provided. The sunshade includes a surface that is maintained in a sun facing orientation. Adjustments to a position of the sunshade are made in a plane that is transverse to a line of sight to the sun, in order to block sunlight from being directly incident on an instrument associated with the spacecraft. The sunshade can include photovoltaic elements on the sun-facing surface of the sunshade. In addition, the sunshade can be formed from an opaque material, and further from a material that absorbs heat from the sun and reradiate that heat to the instrument. The sunshade can perform stray light blocking, electrical power generation, and radiational heating functions.

An exploration method includes: a step of exploring a natural resource on a satellite, a minor planet, or a planet; a step of acquiring the natural resource detected by the exploration; and a step of storing the acquired natural resource.

Disclosed is an environment forming apparatus suitable for biological cultivation in extraterrestrial space. The apparatus includes a shell and a biological cabin configured in an upper space of the shell. A light management system for importing light of biological growth from external world is configured in the upper space, a thermal management system for at least balancing a temperature of the upper space and a water supplying system and configured for providing water for creatures growth are both configured on the shell. The biological cabin and the like are set at the appropriate part of the shell, an environment which is relatively suitable for biological growth or cultivation can be created and simulated on an extraterrestrial star, a condition is provided for ecological cultivation of the extraterrestrial space, an ecosystem of the extraterrestrial space can be formed, and a smooth extraterrestrial space biological experiment process is guaranteed.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for designing, constructing and using instrument landers for in situ exploration of small solar system bodies, such as asteroids and comets. In one aspect, a lander includes a CubeSat-style platform; instrument packaging, wherein the CubeSat-style platform and the instrument packaging are configured and arranged for an uncontrolled descent, hopping landing on a surface of a body in a solar system, where a descending trajectory for the lander is designed based on gravitational force and solar radiation, with no lander-based propulsion; and a mobility mechanism configured and arranged to self-orient the lander on the surface of the body in the solar system.

A lunar orbiting satellite system executes orbit planning of assigning a function (positioning, communication, and flashing) to an artificial satellite (AS) depending on a relative position of the AS to the moon at a time when the moon and the AS are observed from an input point on the earth, and correcting the relative position, which changes in accordance with the moon revolution period. The system includes: a satellite orbit planner which assigns a function to each ASs forming an AS group flying around the moon depending on a relative position of each ASs to the moon at a time when the moon and ASs are observed from an input point on the earth, and set a target orbit according to the function; and a satellite controller which causes the each ASs to execute control based on the function to implement switching of the function.

A communications system includes cellular devices and cellular base stations in communication with the cellular devices in a first frequency band. A non-geostationary satellite may include sensing circuitry operable in a second frequency band susceptible to interference from the first frequency band. Each cellular base station may include a controller and a transceiver cooperating therewith. The controller may be configured to store satellite path data for the non-geostationary satellite, determine when the satellite path data indicates interference would otherwise be experienced by the non-geostationary satellite, and implement an interference mitigation action in cooperation with associated cellular devices based upon the satellite path data indicating interference would otherwise be experienced by the non-geostationary satellite.

A method and apparatus for the control of the attitude of earth orbiting satellites and the orbit and attitude control of a novel gravitational wave detection satellite configuration located near the sun-earth Lagrangian points L3, L4 and L5, utilizing the control of solar radiation pressure by the use of electrically controllable variable reflection glass panels to provide the torques and forces needed.

A deployment and aiming device of an instrument comprises: a first support, a second support to receive the instrument, N mandrels, N being an integer number greater than or equal to 1, positioned around the first support, each of the N mandrels rotationally mobile relative to the first support about a mandrel axis ZN intersecting the mandrel, N linear elements, each of the N linear elements cooperating with one of the N mandrels, each of the N linear elements having first and second ends, wherein the first end of the N linear elements is fixed in the mandrel with which it cooperates at a fixing point, wherein the second end of the N linear elements is linked to the second support, such that a rotation of the mandrel about its axis ZN generates a displacement of the fixing point.

Disclosed here are monocrystalline silicon carbide grids and radiation detections systems comprising such grids. Specifically, a grid comprises a support frame and a grid portion. The support frame is used for installing and supporting the grid in a detection system. The grid portion comprises a plurality of ribs, which defines a plurality of grid openings. The grid portion is used to support various components (e.g., a membrane) while allowing radiation transmission through the grid. For example, the grid portion can support the pressure up to 2 bars. The open area fraction of the grid portion can be at least 50%, or even at least 90%. The grid portion is integrated with the support frame forming monocrystal silicon carbide (e.g., 4H-SiC polymorph). In some examples, the primary surface of the grid is oriented within 8° of the crystallographic c-axis planes of the monocrystal.

Based on determined locations of Kukharev (K) regions, and the estimated times of their formation on Earth, in the atmosphere, and in space, antimatter may be produced and collected, as described by the present invention. Due to jumps in the gravitational field, various standing waves are formed from the resonances of the gravitational tides. A wave of charged particles is formed within the K region and can be setup to collide with targets comprising heavy metal atoms (or other equivalents), the colliding thereby creating antimatter particles. These antimatter particles can then be stored in various traps and used for various purposes, e.g., energy formation.