A satellite includes a housing, a circuit board containing circuitry, a battery electrically connected to the circuit board, a tank, an expandable balloon disposed in the tank, a heater, a valve providing liquid communication between the tank and the heater when in an open position and providing no liquid communication between the tank and the heater when in a closed position, and a nozzle having an orifice in liquid communication with the heater. Operating the satellite includes partially filling the expandable balloon with a gas, loading liquid fuel into the tank, launching the satellite into space, opening the valve to cause the liquid fuel from the tank to pass into the heater under pressure provided by the gas in the expandable balloon, activating the heater to heat and vaporize the liquid fuel into a fuel vapor, and expelling the fuel vaper out of the nozzle.

A method for controlling a first device that includes a photovoltaic array such as a satellite in Earth orbit includes receiving a laser beam that is scanned over a plurality of photovoltaic cells in the photovoltaic array. A trajectory of the laser beam along the photovoltaic array is identified based on receipt of the laser beam by the plurality of photovoltaic cells. The trajectory is compared to a plurality of pre-defined gesture strokes to identify a first gesture stroke most closely matching the trajectory. A pre-defined action associated with the first gesture stroke is performed.

A satellite constellation (200) comprises three artificial satellites (210A to 210C) that monitor a target area of the Earth (101). Each artificial satellite circulates on elliptical orbits having sun-synchronization and an orbit inclination angle. A long axis of each elliptical orbit forms an equal angle with each long axis of two adjacent elliptical orbits in a latitude direction.

A formation flight control device for generating and outputting orbit control information for controlling observation satellites in an observation satellite group orbiting a celestial body and sequentially observing a ground surface of the celestial body with an observation interval includes an orbit information acquirer, an orbit control information generator, and an orbit control information outputter. The orbit information acquirer acquires orbit information indicating an observation time of a preceding observation satellite of which an observation order precedes by one, and an orbit of the preceding observation satellite at the observation time. The orbit control information generator generates, based on the orbit information, the orbit control information indicating an orbit and a phase allowing flying, after the observation interval, vertically above an intersection point between the ground surface and a straight line connecting a center of the celestial body and the preceding observation satellite at the observation time.

In a satellite constellation forming system, each satellite in an orbit satellite group includes a propulsion device to change velocity of each satellite in the orbit satellite group. A satellite constellation forming unit causes propulsion devices of satellites in the orbit satellite group to operate in synchronization, for each orbital plane of the plurality of orbital planes. The satellite constellation forming unit causes each satellite in an orbit satellite group in a first orbital plane of the plurality of orbital planes to perform an acceleration and deceleration process of repeating operation of accelerating for a first time period and then decelerating for the first time period. The satellite constellation forming unit causes each satellite in an orbit satellite group in an orbital plane adjacent to the first orbital plane to start the acceleration and deceleration process after a delay of a second time period.

A satellite constellation forming system forms a satellite constellation (20) including two orbital planes each having a different normal direction and in each of which the same number of satellites fly. A satellite constellation forming unit gradually changes an orbital altitude of at least one orbital plane of the two orbital planes from a state in which satellite passage timings of satellites flying in the two orbital planes do not coincide with each other at an intersection neighborhood point (Pc) between the two orbital planes in each of the two orbital planes, while maintaining the state in which the satellite passage timings do not coincide with each other.

A propulsion system for small artificial satellites comprises a plurality of engines (2) fixable to a frame (101) of a satellite (100); a control unit (3) connected functionally to the engines (2) for sending at least one activation signal (AS) for activating at least one engine (2); the system is selectively configurable at least between a first configuration in which at least one of the engines (2) is activated for correcting the orbit of the satellite (100) and a second configuration in which at least one of the engines (2) is activated for dispersing said satellite (100) relative to another adjacent satellite.

A satellite dispenser includes a central tubular structure. The satellite dispenser also includes a plurality of satellites arranged around the central tubular structure. The satellite dispenser further includes a plurality of shear connectors coupling the central tubular structure and the plurality of satellites arranged together in shear continuity.

A constellation of many satellites provide communication between devices such as user terminals (UTs) and ground stations that are connected to other networks, such as the Internet. A constellation management system (CMS) facilitates management and operation of the satellites in the constellation and facilitates information exchange with other authorized systems to provide for situationally aware operation. The CMS may ingest data such as satellite telemetry, space weather data, object ephemeris data about other orbital objects, and so forth. The CMS uses the ingested data to automatically operate satellites to perform routine activities such as station keeping maneuvers, maintenance activities, interference mitigation, and so forth. Confirmation from a human operator may be obtained before performing some activities. Activities may be planned and coordinated to minimize resource consumption for the individual satellite as well as the constellation. Output, such as ephemeris data, may be provided to other parties as well.

A satellite system can include one or more satellites that orbit the Earth. The one or more satellites may have satellite buses that support antenna arrays. The antenna arrays may include space fed arrays. Each space fed array may have an antenna feed array and an inner array that is coupled to a direct radiating array. The direct radiating array may operate in the same satellite band as the space fed array, or upconversion and downconversion circuitry may be used to communicatively couple a direct radiating array that operates in a different satellite band to the space fed array. The satellites may have peripheral walls with corner fittings that can be selected to provide the satellite bus with particular leg strengths. This can reduce overall mass of the satellites in a payload fairing while accommodating different types of antenna arrays.