According to some aspects of the subject disclosure, a spacecraft comprises first and second pluralities of thrusters. The pluralities of thrusters are attached to a spacecraft body by booms configured to move the first plurality of thrusters between stowed and deployed positions. The deployed position of the first plurality of thrusters is farther north than is the stowed position of the first plurality of thrusters. The deployed position of the second plurality of thrusters is farther south than is the stowed position of the second plurality of thrusters. The first plurality of thrusters comprises a first thruster and a second thruster separated from each other in an east-west direction. The second plurality of thrusters comprises a third thruster and a fourth thruster separated from each other in the east-west direction.

A separation device includes: an outer case; a pillar-shaped separation member including an engaging portion; a support member including a swinging portion and an engageable portion, the swinging portion being swingably supported by the outer case, the engageable portion supporting the separation member; an inner case including a fitting hole restricting swinging of the support member; and an operation-enabling element, which supports the inner case and which is fusion-cut when an electric current is applied thereto. When the operation-enabling element is fusion-cut, the inner case is displaced, such that: the engageable portion of the support member detaches from the fitting hole; the swinging portion swings; and the engageable portion moves away from the engaging portion to release the separation member.

A device for deploying and pointing an equipment item is disclosed including a mobile platform for receiving the equipment item, a carrier integrally secured to a wall of a spacecraft, and three identical linear actuators which connect the carrier to the mobile platform and are suitable for moving the platform in translation along one axis and for orienting the platform in rotation about two axes. Each linear actuator including a first portion connected to the platform by a universal joint, a second portion connected to the carrier by a pivot connection, a motor, and a screw/nut joint interconnecting the two portions, each universal joint being suitable for preventing the screw/nut joint from rotating about the axis, such that driving the motor causes a translational movement between the first and the second portion.

Enclosures for facilitating activities in space, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed. A representative system includes a spacecraft having an enclosed interior volume (which can be formed by an inflatable membrane) and one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) carried by the spacecraft and positioned to deploy into the enclosed interior volume. The system can include a remote-control system to control the one or more UAVs from a terrestrial location while the spacecraft is in space. A wireless charging system can provide electrical power to the one or more UAVs. A representative method includes configuring one or more controllers to launch a first spacecraft to a first orbit, launch a second spacecraft to a second orbit, move the first spacecraft to the second orbit, dock the first spacecraft with the second spacecraft, and broadcast an event within an interior volume of the first spacecraft to a terrestrial location.

A deployable structure for use in establishing a reflectarray antenna is provided that includes a flexible reflectarray and a deployment structure that includes an endless pantograph for deploying the flexible reflectarray from a folded, undeployed state towards a deployed state in which the flexible reflectarray is substantially planar. In a particular embodiment, the deployment structure includes a plurality of tapes that engage the endless pantograph and are used to establish a positional relationship between the deployed reflectarray and another component of the reflectarray antenna.

Provided herein are various improvements to launch vehicle payload systems, such as employed to launch and deploy secondary payloads into orbit. In one example, a system includes a fairing configured to encase a payload within an envelope of a primary fairing of a launch vehicle, and a mount system configured to adapt a mounting port for the payload to a mounting port associated with the launch vehicle. The system also includes a fairing door configured to be commanded open for deployment of the payload after the primary fairing has open.

Method and circuits for balancing a first waveform used to drive an LED are disclosed herein. The first waveform has a first cycle with a first amplitude and a second cycle with a second amplitude. An embodiment of the method includes adjusting the first amplitude of the first cycle to match the second amplitude of the second cycle, the result being a second waveform. The LED is driven with the second waveform.

This disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods associated with the stowing, deploying, and deployment of a solar cell array. With reference to some exemplary embodiments this disclosure teaches apparatuses, systems, and methods directed to a solar cell array system that is a relatively lightweight, compact, and self-contained structure that securely stores, protects, and deploys the solar array. With reference to some exemplary embodiments this disclosure teaches apparatuses, systems, and methods for deploying a solar cell array that is held in the deployed configuration by self-contained compressive force and tensile force members such that no loads are carried through the solar cell panels.

The invention relates to a spacecraft comprising a body having two opposite faces; a first radiator carried by at least one face; the first radiator having an outer face; a first supporting arm extending substantially perpendicularly to the outer face of the first radiator; a drive motor suitable for rotating the first supporting arm about its longitudinal axis a first assembly carried by the first supporting arm, said first assembly comprising a plurality of slats stationary with respect to the first supporting arm; said slats being attached one above the other and separated from each other by a free space.

A satellite orbiting in one of a plurality of orbital planes of a satellite constellation system at an altitude range corresponding to low earth orbit includes at least one processor configured to generate satellite state data, and to generate a navigation signal based on the satellite state data. The satellite includes at least one transmitter configured to transmit the navigation signal for receipt by at least one client device on earth. Each of the plurality of orbital planes includes a corresponding one of a plurality of satellite subsets of a plurality of satellites of the satellite constellation system. Each of the plurality of orbital planes is within the altitude range, and the plurality of orbital planes includes a set of inclined orbital planes at a non-polar inclination.