Systems (100) and methods (300, 500) for controlling an electromechanical valve element (116). The methods involve: building up a magnetic flux through a valve (206) of the electromechanical valve element by supplying a PWM signal to an electromechanically inductive coil (202) of the electromechanical valve element at a power level lower than a power level needed to actuate the valve. When the valve needs to be opened, an amplitude of the PWM signal is increased such that the power provided to the electromechanically inductive coil rises to a power level sufficient to actuate the valve. Notably, the valve opens when a power cycling time of the PWM signal increases beyond a minimum power required to open the valve.

Integrated power module device, systems, and methods are provided in accordance with various embodiments. For example, some embodiments include a system that may include one or more integrated power modules. Each integrated power module may include: one or more solar cells; one or more rechargeable energy storage cells; and/or one or more circuits coupling the one or more solar cells with the one or more rechargeable energy storage cells. In some embodiments, each integrated power module is configured such that the one or more rechargeable energy storage cells of the respective integrated power module are coupled with one or more back sides of the one or more solar cells. In some embodiments, at least two of the one or more integrated power modules are coupled with each other at least in parallel or in series.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to techniques for autonomously transitioning a spacecraft from a power-saving state to a power-consuming state at a time after launch of the spacecraft on a launch vehicle. Because the spacecraft can autonomously detect conditions for transitioning to the power-consuming state, commands received via an umbilical connection to the launch vehicle, or detecting the presence or absence of such a connection, is unnecessary, thereby removing several technical barriers to eliminating such umbilical connections altogether. In some embodiments, low-cost vacuum detection devices that use very small amounts of power may be used by the spacecraft to detect when the spacecraft has reached an altitude suitable for transitioning to the power-consuming state.

A honeycomb sandwich structure includes a main body portion having a first skin material, a second skin material, and a honeycomb core sandwiched between the first skin material and the second skin material, and a thermoelectric conversion module that generates power using a temperature difference between a high temperature side module front surface and a low temperature side module rear surface. The thermoelectric conversion module is embedded in a main body portion such that at least one of the module front surface and the module rear surface is in a state being exposed from the main body portion, and as a result, a temperature difference is generated between the module front surface and the module rear surface.

A habitation module that provides an artificial gravity environment. In one embodiment, the habitation module includes a core structure having cylindrical sections spaced apart from one another, and a hub that slides over one of the cylindrical sections of the core structure to span a distance between the cylindrical sections. The hub includes a plurality of portals spaced radially around a circumference of the hub, and gravity chambers attach to portals of the hub. A drive mechanism rotates the hub about an axis in relation to the core structure to simulate a gravitational force within the gravity chambers. Rotary seals form an air-tight seal between the hub and the cylindrical sections of the core structure so that the interior of the hub and the gravity chambers may be pressurized.

A fuel cell-based power system comprises a fuel cell configured for continuously receiving a first reactant and a second reactant to produce chemical reactions that generate electrical power, water, and heat, a coolant subsystem configured for circulating a primary coolant in association with the fuel cell, thereby absorbing the generated heat, a tank configured for storing a reactant, and a reactant distribution subsystem configured for conveying the reactant from the tank to an independent system, the fuel cell as the first reactant, and the coolant subsystem as a secondary coolant to remove the absorbed heat from the primary coolant and/or a water accumulator. The secondary coolant may be conveyed to a gas thruster as a gas after the absorbed heat has been removed from the secondary coolant. The reactant may be boil off of a cryogenic liquid or vapor or gas transformed from a cryogenic liquid via a heater.

A fuel cell-based power system comprises a fuel cell configured for continuously receiving a first reactant and a second reactant to produce chemical reactions that generate electrical power, water, and heat, a coolant subsystem configured for circulating a primary coolant in association with the fuel cell, thereby absorbing the generated heat, a tank configured for storing a reactant, and a reactant distribution subsystem configured for conveying the reactant from the tank to an independent system, the fuel cell as the first reactant, and the coolant subsystem as a secondary coolant to remove the absorbed heat from the primary coolant and/or a water accumulator. The secondary coolant may be conveyed to a gas thruster as a gas after the absorbed heat has been removed from the secondary coolant. The reactant may be boil off of a cryogenic liquid or vapor or gas transformed from a cryogenic liquid via a heater.

A Common Bus Structure for Avionics and Satellites (CBSAS) (10) as shown in FIG. 1 is comprised of a module lid (14), module floor (38), module stack base (16), module compression bolts (22) and stackable modules (12). Stackable modules (12) are sub-dividable to create module scaled chamber volumes (45) individually as required, while stackable modules (12) simultaneously create at least one collectively continuous raceway sealed chamber volume (44) perpendicular to individual stackable modules (12) in the vertical direction where no module floor (38) is present, in order to internally electrically interconnect the contents of any stackable module (12) with the contents of any other stackable module (12) via internal connector raceway system (24). Raceway sealed chamber volume (44) therefore collectively and continuously traverses all present stackable modules (12) positioned between module lid (14) and module stack base (16). Modules are interchangeable and inter-connectable in any order, and contain all required electronic or mechanical components required for CBSAS (10) to function as a single box consolidated avionics system that is equally functional in the atmosphere or the vacuum of space, while also being fully functional as a single complete stand-alone satellite system. CBSAS (10) enables a paradigm shift in the aerospace industry whereby all legacy and current multiple black-box systems on aerospace platforms such as missiles, rockets, satellites and aircraft are extremely inefficient when compared to the size, weight and power attributes of CBSAS (10). The ability for CBSAS (10) to be instantly employable as either a single box consolidated avionics system for use within the atmosphere or in space while also being fully functional as a stand-alone satellite enables a hardware, firmware and software capability never before manifested in the aerospace industry.

In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure teaches a method for reconfiguring a solar array. The method involves providing, for the solar array, at least one string of solar cells. The method further involves deactivating at least a portion of at least one of the strings of solar cells of the solar array when power produced by the solar array reaches a maximum power allowance threshold. In addition, the method involves activating at least a portion of at least one of the strings of the solar cells in the solar array when the power produced by the solar array reaches a minimum power allowance threshold.

A modular satellite for converting solar energy to microwave energy and transmitting the microwave energy to the earth to be converted into electricity includes solar panels configured to convert solar energy into direct current; a magnetron operatively connected to the solar panels to receive the direct current and configured to convert the direct current into microwave energy; a planar wave guide antenna operatively connected to the magnetron to receive the microwave energy and direct the microwave energy to a station on earth; and a coupling system for coupling with another satellite to form an array in response to at least one of locking, unlocking, and navigational commands. The satellite has a mass equal to or less than four kilograms, and a volume equal to or less than three liters.