A spacecraft control system and method for determining the necessary delta-V and timing for impulsive maneuvers to change the plane of an orbit or the size of the orbit of a secondary spacecraft that is in an orbit around a primary spacecraft. The system and method uses an apocentral coordinate system for the relative orbital motion and geometric relative orbital elements to determine the required impulsive velocity change and time to maneuver, for relative orbital changes in which only one of slant or colatitude of the sinilaterating node changes.

A vehicle for intercepting a target object orbiting in space is provided, comprising a launching portion for driving the vehicle into an orbit, and an interception portion for intercepting a target object when the vehicle is in orbit, wherein the interception portion comprises means for engaging with the target object and wherein the launching portion is arranged to drive the vehicle into a first elliptical orbit and the vehicle is arranged to adopt a second elliptical orbit when engaged with the target object in which the first elliptical orbit is arranged so as to intersect the orbit of the target object at an interception point, and the second elliptical orbit is such that the vehicle is arranged to move from the interception point towards the Earth's atmosphere when engaged with the target object. A method of controlling a vehicle for intercepting a target object orbiting in space is also provided, comprising controlling the vehicle to be driven into a first elliptical orbit to intersect the orbit of the target object at an interception point and controlling the vehicle to engage with the target object at the interception point and to adopt a second elliptical orbit when engaged with the target object in which the second elliptical orbit is such that the vehicle is arranged to move from the interception point towards the Earth's atmosphere when engaged with the target object.

A method for creating an artificial reentry corridor. Several modules are deployed in a retrograde orbit relative to target debris. Each module releases a gas plume which, in turn creates an artificial reentry corridor. The debris passes through the corridor and becomes decelerated.

This invention is pioneering a Strategic Trans-orbital Carrier (herein called a carrier’) which merges the technologies attributes of a plurality commercial jet engines with a plurality reusable rocket engines to provide capabilities permitting a smooth computer-controlled transition from terrestrial air space to insertion into and thru low earth orbit (LEO) and into high geostationary earth orbit (GEO). A carrier would return back to terrestrial air space with carrying approximately 60 tons of any type of customers' defined cargo and passengers which would include intermodal container modules, complete DoD military strategic devices; heavy industrial outfitting apparatuses; building components for infrastructure complexes; personnel and robots; and space defensive materials to an in-situ space complex. With a fleet of carriers', a routine commercial services becomes available that are built to and guided by FAA flight regulations using specific airport with runways greater than 8,000 feet and that can handle a carriers weight.

A debris management system for use in space and a method of controlling space debris is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a frame, (2) a plurality of material sections, coupled to the frame, that cooperate to form a material structure when deployed from the frame and (3) a plurality of microvehicles, coupled to the plurality of material sections, each one of the plurality including propulsion units configured to eject the each one relative to the frame and pull the plurality of material sections to deploy the plurality of material sections to form the material structure.

The present invention provides a capture mechanism for capturing and locking onto the Marman flange located on the exterior surfaces of spacecraft/satellites. The capture mechanism achieves its goal of quickly capturing a target spacecraft by splitting the two basic actions involved into two separate mechanisms. One mechanism performs the quick grasp of the target while the other mechanism rigidises that grasp to ensure that the target is held as firmly as desired. To achieve a speedy grasp, the grasping action is powered by springs and an over-centre mechanism triggered either mechanically by a plunger or electronically by sensors and a solenoid. This forces two sets of jaws, one on either side of the object to be grasped, to close quickly over the target object. The jaws can be set up to grasp gently, firmly, or even not close completely on the target. The key is that they must close tightly enough so that the protrusions on the target cannot escape from the jaws due to any possible motions of the target. Once the jaws have sprung shut, a second mechanism draws the jaws (and their closing mechanism) back into the body of the tool pulling the captured target onto two rigidisation surfaces. The mechanism keeps pulling backwards until a pre-established preload is reached at which point the target is considered suitably rigidised to the capture mechanism.

Disclosed is a modular, human-crewed interplanetary spacecraft that is assembled in cislunar space. It is primarily comprised of a hollowed-out asteroid; five expandable habitation modules, one of which is expanded inside the asteroid cavity; two docking and airlock nodes; two landing craft suitable for exploring celestial bodies; structural support members; truss structures; robotic arms; a propulsion module; and shielding curtains that are filled with pulverized asteroidal material and attached to the truss structure. This configuration provides substantial radiation and meteoroid shielding. Upon completion of their mission, the crew will use the robotic arms to disconnect and mate (1) the asteroid containing the control module, (2) the forward docking and airlock node, and (3) the propulsion module. This crew-return vehicle will return to cislunar space. The remaining expandable modules with trusses, robotic arms, and landing craft will remain in the destination orbit to serve as a space station for future missions.

A method for rendezvous with an orbiting object comprising: launching a tug and a servicer into a client orbit; separating the servicer from the tug; and docking the servicer with a client. A system for rendezvous with an orbiting object comprising: a first spacecraft comprising a tug capable of towing a second spacecraft, wherein the second spacecraft is a servicer configured to dock with a tumbling client orbiting object.

A space-based circuit-replacing robotic system and method include a satellite grasper configured to grasp the satellite having a printed circuit onto which an integrated circuit is soldered and the integrated circuit is to be replaced; an access mechanism configured to remove the printed circuit and/or to provide access to the printed circuit; a printed circuit orientation device configured to orient a printed circuit such that sunlight is incident on the printed circuit; one or more temperature sensors configured to measure a temperature of the solder on the printed circuit; a processor configured to adjust a rate of heating to match a desired heating rate; a circuit grasping device configured to position the circuit for replacement; and an optical shield that is configured to be adjusted to allow light to pass substantially only to a desired area of the printed circuit.

Provided is a method and system of evaluating a constellation spare strategy based on a stochastic time Petri net, which is applied in the technical field of constellation operation management. The method comprises: constructing a single satellite STPN model and an orbital plane STPN model, and establishing a navigation constellation STPN model that includes multiple spare strategies according to the single satellite STPN model and the orbital plane STPN model; establishing an availability model according to the number of malfunctioning satellites and the constellation value (CV) in the navigation constellation STPN model, and establishing a cost model according to operating costs of the navigation constellation STPN model; and evaluating the navigation constellation STPN model using the availability model and the cost model, and determining a target spare strategy from the multiple spare strategies according to an evaluation result.