Provided is a testbed for conducting an experiment on a substance in a cryogenic liquid state in a microgravity environment. Such a testbed includes a frame with rectangular nominal dimensions, and a source section supported by the frame for supplying the substance to be evaluated in the cryogenic liquid form. An experiment supported by the frame includes an experiment vessel in fluid communication with the storage tank to receive and condense the substance into the cryogenic liquid state. A sensor senses a property of the cryogenic liquid in the experiment vessel as part of the experiment, and a bus section includes a controller configured to control delivery of the substance to the experiment vessel, and receives property data indicative of the property sensed by the sensor for subsequent evaluation on Earth.

Space vehicles are provided, each including a body and a solar panel array system. The body has a longitudinal axis and a plurality of body portions. Adjacent body portions are hinged to one another about a respective body hinge axis to enable the body portions to be selectively pivoted about the respective body hinge axes with respect to one another from an undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration. In the undeployed configuration the body has a first length dimension along a reference axis, and in the deployed configuration the body has a second length dimension along the reference axis. The second length dimension is greater than first length dimension. The solar panel system includes at least two panel sets. Each panel set has at least one solar panel, each panel set being movably mounted to one of the body portions and being selectively deployable from a stowed configuration to an extended configuration. In the stowed configuration the at least one panel of each respective panel set is in circumferentially overlapping relationship with an outside of the body, and in the extended configuration, the panels are projecting away from the respective the body portion. Methods for deploying a space vehicle are also provided.

A landing device for a low gravity lander having a main body. The landing device comprises a number of leg-like rods attached to the main body, wherein, in a deployment position of the rods, each of the number of rods is inclined with regard to a plane of a first side surface of the main body such that the rods substantially extend in a direction of movement of the low gravity lander. Furthermore, the number of rods is made such that they bend or buckle under forces within a predetermined range by an impact due to a landing on a landing surface, thereby absorbing an impact momentum.

Latching or locking deployment hinges are provided that include a latch mechanism, a spring-loaded tensioning device, and a trigger mechanism. The trigger mechanism and the spring-loaded tensioning device are configured to transfer the compressed spring load in the spring-loaded tensioning device to the latch mechanism once the hinge has closed sufficiently far enough to latch together, thus inducing a pre-load through the latch mechanism that eliminates gapping in the hinge interface. The hinges may be sprung or actuated using a powered drive mechanism.

Miniature release mechanisms constrain objects, such as deployables during the launch of space vehicles, such as small satellites and nanosatellites, and enable the release of the objects once a desired destination is reached by the space vehicle. Constraint and release of the objects are achieved by providing a secure threaded interface that may be released by the release mechanisms. The release mechanisms include a housing structure; a release block can include a threaded interface; one or more retracting pins; one or more release springs; a breakable link, such as a plastic link; a cable harness clamp; and a circuit board. The release mechanism can be 0.1875 inches (approximately 4.8 mm) thick.

A pair of opposing, spaced apart bracket assemblies is mounted on a lower surface of a landing vehicle deck with each bracket assembly having a latch receiver extending therefrom. A pair of opposing, spaced apart latch assemblies is mounted on an upper surface of an exploration vehicle with each latch assembly having a latch pivotally mounted for releasably engaging one of the bracket assembly latch receivers. A plurality of tethers with each tether releasably connecting one of plurality of wheels to the landing vehicle deck is provided. Each of the latch assembly latches pivots relative to the exploration vehicle upper surface to disengage from one of the bracket assembly latch receivers, so that the plurality of tethers suspend the exploration vehicle from the landing vehicle deck.

A reusable device for holding and releasing a bar. The device includes a tightening component, a hold and release component, and at least one loosening component. The hold and release component includes a plurality of segments, each segment includes a first bearing surface configured to bear on part of the bar, when the plurality of segments is in a holding configuration under the effect of a tightening pressure generated by the tightening component. The plurality of segments includes a second bearing surface configured to bear on one end of the at least one loosening component. The at least one loosening component is made from a first single-acting shape memory material. Each end of the at least one loosening component exerting a loosening pressure compensating for the tightening pressure, so as to place the hold and release component in a configuration in which the part of the arm is released.

Provided is a bracket for use in a hold and release mechanism (HRM) system for releasably holding a deployable payload in a stowed configuration. The bracket includes a conical portion for nesting with a conical portion of a second bracket for forming a first separation interface therebetween. The conical portion of the bracket is configured as a cone and the conical portion of the second bracket is configured as a cup. The bracket includes one or more bracket connectors for connecting the bracket to the deployable payload or a platform on which the deployable payload is stowed. The second bracket connects to whichever of the deployable payload or the platform the first bracket is not connected.

An actuator module for releasing an equipment component comprising a module base forming a guide sleeve, a release body for coupling to the equipment component and inserted into the guide sleeve, which release body is movable relative to the guide sleeve along a sleeve axis thereof from a standby position to a working position, a blocking body mounted on the guide sleeve, which, in its blocking position, blocks the release body against movement out of the standby position into the working position and, in its release position, allows movement of the release body from the standby position into the working position, and an actuator unit for moving the blocking body from the blocking position to the release position, the actuator unit comprising at least one actuator wire of shape memory material secured with wire ends to the module base and coupled to the blocking body for applying an activating force.

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.