A system for producing an object is disclosed including a build device having a build area and a material bonding component to receive portions of a material that are used to produce the object, at least one gripper within the build area to contact the object to provide support and to provide for at least one of a heat sink for the object, a cold sink for the object, and electrical dissipation path from the object, and a movement mechanism to move the build device relative to the object to position the build device at a position to further produce the object. Another system and methods are also disclosed.

A system for producing an object is disclosed including a build device having a build area and a material bonding component to receive portions of a material that are used to produce the object, at least one gripper within the build area to contact the object to provide support and to provide for at least one of a heat sink for the object, a cold sink for the object, and electrical dissipation path from the object, and a movement mechanism to move the build device relative to the object to position the build device at a position to further produce the object. Another system and methods are also disclosed.

A system for spacecraft atmosphere CO.sub.2 capture that has a first heat exchanger configured to receive airflow from the spacecraft atmosphere and to cool the airflow via a first heat exchange with CO.sub.2-depleted air. The system further has a pre-cooler configured to receive and cool the airflow from the first heat exchanger, and has a second heat exchanger configured to receive the airflow from the pre-cooler. The second heat exchanger can cool the airflow via a second heat exchange with the CO.sub.2-depleted air. Deposition coolers can operate in a deposition mode in which CO.sub.2 from the airflow is deposited to generate said CO.sub.2-depleted air, and a sublimation mode in which deposited CO.sub.2 is sublimated into CO.sub.2 gas. A controller is configured to alternately cycle each of the first and second deposition coolers between the deposition mode and the sublimation mode.

A spacecraft, for example a satellite, or a part thereof having a coating comprising a 2D material on an outer surface thereof is described. The 2D material comprises one or more elements, excluding C, N and S, in an amount of at least 50 at. %; and respective oxides of the one or more elements of the 2D material have a vapour pressure of at most 10 Pa at a temperature of 323 K.

A spacecraft, for example a satellite, or a part thereof having a coating comprising a 2D material on an outer surface thereof is described. The 2D material comprises one or more elements, excluding C, N and S, in an amount of at least 50 at. %; and respective oxides of the one or more elements of the 2D material have a vapour pressure of at most 10 Pa at a temperature of 323 K.

An exemplary method protects a delicate device from potential damage from shock or vibration. A material in a liquid state is placed in contact with the delicate device. The liquid material is cooled causing it to transition to a solid state which stabilizes the delicate device in contact with the solid material against shock and vibration. The solid state material is heated causing it to sublimate into a gas thus releasing the delicate device for operation.

A space vehicle includes one or more magnetorquers operable to change an attitude of the space vehicle in an external magnetic field, each magnetorquer comprising a coil, and a switching circuit for short-circuiting the coil of at least one of the magnetorquers so that a closed electric circuit comprising said coil is formed, for damping tumbling motion of the space vehicle in the external magnetic field. The switching circuit is configured to short-circuit the coil of the at least one magnetorquer upon occurrence of a condition indicative of end-of-life or failure of the space vehicle. The application further relates to a corresponding method of operating a space vehicle.

A system and method of warning and planning failure responses using an automated failure response system including, providing an electro-mechanical system having mechanical and electrical components and providing a failure response system for diagnosing failures of the components. The failure response system then determines effects of said failures on carrying out system activities using the failure response system, quantifies a severity for each failure diagnosed by the failure response system, and identifies repairs for each component failure. The failure response system also prioritizes each failure of a component based on severity and then recommends which repairs should be prioritized as most urgent to keep the electro-mechanical system operational based upon the severity of the associated failures and the effects of their corresponding failure.

A system and method of warning and planning failure responses using an automated failure response system including, providing an electro-mechanical system having mechanical and electrical components and providing a failure response system for diagnosing failures of the components. The failure response system then determines effects of said failures on carrying out system activities using the failure response system, quantifies a severity for each failure diagnosed by the failure response system, and identifies repairs for each component failure. The failure response system also prioritizes each failure of a component based on severity and then recommends which repairs should be prioritized as most urgent to keep the electro-mechanical system operational based upon the severity of the associated failures and the effects of their corresponding failure.

A control system configured to execute a safing mode sequence for a spacecraft is disclosed. The control system includes one or more star trackers that each include a field of view to capture light from a plurality of space objects surrounding the celestial body. The control system also includes one or more actuators, one or more processors in electronic communication with the one or more actuators, and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores data into a database and program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the control system to determine a current attitude of the spacecraft, and re-orient the spacecraft from a current attitude into a momentum neutral attitude.