A lunar orbiting satellite system executes orbit planning of assigning a function (positioning, communication, and flashing) to an artificial satellite (AS) depending on a relative position of the AS to the moon at a time when the moon and the AS are observed from an input point on the earth, and correcting the relative position, which changes in accordance with the moon revolution period. The system includes: a satellite orbit planner which assigns a function to each ASs forming an AS group flying around the moon depending on a relative position of each ASs to the moon at a time when the moon and ASs are observed from an input point on the earth, and set a target orbit according to the function; and a satellite controller which causes the each ASs to execute control based on the function to implement switching of the function.

A craft having a source of deuterium-containing micro-fusion fuel particles is operable above a planetary, lunar or asteroid surface in the presence of ambient cosmic rays. The fuel particles are dispersible from a set of ports, where at least some of the ports are in an underside of the craft body and others are in lateral sides of the craft body. Dispersed fuel particles interact with ambient cosmic rays and muons to generate energetic reaction products, at least some which are then received by the underside of the craft to generate lift and also selected lateral sides of the craft to generate propulsive thrust in a desired lateral direction. The craft can carry tethers and winches to carry a payload above the surface from location to another. In another embodiment, a balloon-based design, such as a dirigible, provides primary buoyant lift, while the micro-fusion particles provide at least lateral thrust, and supplemental lift where needed.

Establishing and growth of a lunar or planetary surface base involves continuing to use landing spacecraft as docked modules of the base for habitation and work. A first spacecraft is landed at a specified surface site then doubles as first module of the base. A second (and later third and subsequent) spacecraft is landed at the site a safe distance from the existing base modules then moved over the surface into a side-by-side position to dock with selected base modules. At least some of the landing, surface transport, and operational electric power is supplied by micro-fusion using ambient cosmic rays and muons interacting with deuterium-containing particle fuel material to generate energetic reaction products.

A space transport system includes one or more cyclers orbiting between a first planetary body and another planetary body. The space transport system also includes one or more taxi vehicles, each of which carry cargo, humans, or both. The one or more taxi vehicles dock with the one or more cyclers and undock with the one or more cyclers when landing on the first planetary body or the second planetary body.

Methods and systems for implementing a Jupiter aerospace mission can enable delivery of a science payload to a Jupiter orbit on a direct Earth-to-Jupiter trajectory. Solar power and use of avionics also allow a fast assembly, integration, and test process compared to past outer Solar System missions. The spacecraft can include an aerodynamic forebody, a shell, and a thermal protection system. The spacecraft can manage the radiation environment, generate solar power, and return data to Earth with a robust radio-frequency (RF) amplification and antenna gain.

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.

The present invention provides an innovative apparatus and method for onboard spacecraft location determination and navigation by employing observations of extrasolar planetary star systems. In one apparatus embodiment a gas absorption cell is placed between a sensor and the light from a reference star system with at least one exoplanet, such that the sensor can detect the spectrum through the gas absorption cell. Radial velocities can be calculated via Doppler Spectroscopy techniques and incorporated into a spacecraft navigation solution. Additional embodiments incorporate other spacecraft sensor or system data to derive a filtered navigation solution. The present invention can enable and enhance significant mission capabilities for future manned and unmanned space vehicles and missions.

A collision-avoidance propulsion system and method for orbiting satellites and other spacecraft takes advantage of ambient cosmic rays in space to catalyze micro-fusion events via particle-target fusion and muon-catalyzed fusion processes, using the reaction products to produce thrust upon orbiting satellites and other spacecraft. A supply of deuterium-containing particle fuel material is propelled in a specified direction of the spacecraft in response to indication of a potential collision with another space object (e.g. orbiting debris). In one embodiment, this may be performed by propellant gas expelling the fuel material through conduits to specified ports on the exterior of the spacecraft. The propelled material interacts with the ambient cosmic rays and muon generated from those cosmic rays to induce micro-fusion. A portion of the energetic reaction products (e.g. alpha particles) are received upon the spacecraft to alter its trajectory in a manner that avoids the potential collision.

An interplanetary spacecraft makes use of ambient cosmic rays and muons generated therefrom to provide micro-fusion propulsion. The craft has a central reaction chamber surrounded by the craft's main body. Deuterium-containing fuel material is injected at a specified rate into the reaction chamber where it is exposed to the cosmic rays and muons to produce energetic reaction products. Some reaction products exit the chamber through an opening to provide reaction thrust, while other reaction products interact with a dome of the chamber to directly apply a thrusting force. The craft can be a preassembled station having multiple reaction chambers and can form an orbiting space station around a planet or moon or a manufacturing or habitat station on a planetary or lunar surface.

A micro-fusion powered craft has a centrally located internal chamber with an upper dome and a bottom opening. The chamber is radially surrounding by the main body of the craft. Ports from a fuel supply in the main body inject a deuterium-containing micro-fusion fuel material as a dispersed cloud within the chamber. Ambient cosmic rays and muons penetrate the upper dome into the chamber and interact with the fuel to produce energetic reaction products. The downwardly directed portion of the reaction products exist the chamber through the bottom opening to produce upward reaction thrust, while the upwardly directed portion of the reaction products are stopped by the upper dome to produce applied upward thrust. The craft may have one or more side ports for dispersing fuel material externally in a desired direction that reacts with ambient cosmic rays and muons to produce reaction products, at least some of which are received by a side of the craft to produce lateral thrust.