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.

An all-reflective coronagraph optical system for continuously imaging a wide field of view. The optical system can comprise a fore-optics assembly comprising a plurality of mirrors that reflect light rays, about a wide field of view centered around the Sun, to an aft-optics assembly that reflects the light rays to an image sensor. A fold mirror, having an aperture, is optically supported between the fore-optics assembly and the aft-optics assembly. The aperture defines an angular subtense (e.g., 1.0 degree) sized larger than the angular subtense of the Sun. The aperture facilitates passage of a direct solar image and a solar thermal load. A thermal control subsystem comprises a shroud radiatively coupled to each fore-optics mirror and the fold mirror. A cold radiator is thermally coupled to each shroud. Heaters adjacent fore optics mirrors and the fold mirror control temperature to provide a steady state optical system to minimize wavefront error.

The present invention relates to a Lidar surveying instrument, which is capable of detecting and discriminating laser-induced particle fluorescence of any biological or non-biological atmospheric particles. The present astrobiology sensing instrument can remotely sense and discriminate, in real-time, the bio-indicator aerosol material signatures and environmental interferents that exist in an extraterrestrial environment, such as Mars, in order to expand the search for signatures of extraterrestrial life from the planetary soil to the planetary ground level atmosphere, by performing atmospheric volume scans of hundreds of meters in a radial direction around a planetary vehicle or a spacecraft. The Lidar instrument technology of the present invention employs real-time aerosol particle detection and discrimination based on two physical variables: particle fluorescence and particle size in the bio-discrimination space.

A water purification system comprises a bioreaction subsystem receiving contaminated input effluent and having a gas-lift anaerobic membrane bioreactor removing urea and organic matter to create a first effluent. A light-treatment subsystem receives the first effluent and exposes the first effluent to UV light to create a second effluent free from microorganisms. A reactor subsystem fluidically connects an ammonia-reducing reactor to the UV output and receives UV-treated second effluent and has a struvite regenerator connected to the ammonia-reducing reactor output, separating ammonia from the second effluent in the ammonia-reducing reactor, and outputting the ammonia. A separation subsystem fluidically connects to the reactor output and receives the second effluent substantially free from ammonia and has a continuous electro-deionization device separating brine/salts from the second effluent to produce potable water. A closed-loop includes an ammonia-converting subsystem and a sequential fertilizer producer.

Provided is a testbed for conducting an experiment on a substance in a cryogenic liquid state in a microgravity environment. Such a testbed includes a frame with rectangular nominal dimensions, and a source section supported by the frame for supplying the substance to be evaluated in the cryogenic liquid form. An experiment supported by the frame includes an experiment vessel in fluid communication with the storage tank to receive and condense the substance into the cryogenic liquid state. A sensor senses a property of the cryogenic liquid in the experiment vessel as part of the experiment, and a bus section includes a controller configured to control delivery of the substance to the experiment vessel, and receives property data indicative of the property sensed by the sensor for subsequent evaluation on Earth.

A CubeSat side panel with an additional storage compartment includes a satellite endcap, a hinge assembly, and at least one CubeSat component. A plurality of lateral lips and a top extremity of the satellite endcap delineate a storage compartment within the satellite endcap. The storage compartment allows the Cubesat component to be mounted upon an inner surface of the satellite endcap. The hinge assembly connects the satellite endcap to a frame of the CubeSat thus allowing the CubeSat side panel to open upward and away from the CubeSat. Resultantly, the hinge assembly provides easy access to the Cubesat component of the satellite endcap and other existing components that are positioned within the frame of the CubeSat.

A system includes multi-module satellites designed to autonomously or semi-autonomously perform experiments in a space environment for investigators. Each multi-module satellite includes multiple testing modules each associated with a different investigator. Each testing module includes a testing computer that runs experiments. A main flight computer on the multi-module satellite communicates with the testing computers for each module, passing information between the testing computers and a main control system. To perform an experiment in a testing module, the multi-module satellite system collects and stores observation data from sensors of the testing module, controls a controller of the testing module to perform the experiment, transmits the observation data from the testing module to an application associated with the testing module via a main control system, and executes instructions receives from the application via the main control system by controlling the controller of the testing module based on the received instructions.

A method for the deployment of reconnaissance devices including buoy cameras and robotic devices in a target mission area of a remote location in space utilizing a maneuverable descent de-booster capsule and a buoyant vessel for the deployment is disclosed, including identifying the target area from an orbiting spacecraft; deploying the de-booster into orbit over the target area; initiating gradual descent of the de-booster in the atmosphere of the remote location in space; ejecting the buoyant vessel and its payload from the de-booster; filling the buoyant portion of the buoyant vessel with a lifting gas to cause the buoyant portion to become a large balloon; activating reconnaissance devices on the bay portion of the buoyant vessel, including video and other devices for monitoring and surveiling the target mission area; maneuvering the buoyant vessel to refine mission site selection; opening cargo bay doors at a predetermined altitude to deliver payloads including buoy cameras to the target mission area; causing the at least one buoyant vessel to rise in the atmosphere over the target mission area after payload delivery; and activating communication relay functions in the buoyant vessel while maintaining ongoing reconnaissance activities.

A system and method for space resource mining and maneuvering may utilize at least one linear transformer driver, a selective ionization plasma pyrolysis extractor, and at least one pulsed plasma thruster.

A radio wave measurement device enabling highly sensitive measurements of radio waves at an extremely low temperature is disclosed. The radio wave measurement device has a radiation-blocking filter through which a targeted radio wave is transmitted, a radio wave-transparent material to reflect a non-targeted electromagnetic wave included in radio waves, and a radio wave detector which are placed in a vacuum vessel, in which the radio waves are transmitted through the radiation-blocking filter, the non-targeted electromagnetic wave included in the radio waves is reflected toward the radiation-blocking filter by the radio wave-transparent material and collected as heat into the radiation-blocking filter, and the heat is exhausted out of the system, allowing the radio waves transmitted through the radio wave-transparent material to be measured with high sensitivity by the radio wave detector.