A method for attitude control of a satellite in inclined low orbit in survival mode is disclosed, the satellite including at least one solar generator, at least one solar sensor, magnetic torquers capable of forming internal magnetic moments in a satellite reference frame having three orthogonal axes X, Y, and Z, and inertial actuators capable of forming internal angular momentums in the satellite reference frame. The at least one solar sensor has a field of view at least 180° wide within the XZ plane around the Z axis, the method including a step of attitude control using a first control law, a step of searching for the sun by means of the at least one solar sensor, when a first phase of visibility of the sun is detected, and a step of attitude control using a second control law.

A transfer type contra-rotating geomagnetic energy storage-release delivery system is disclosed. The system includes a control system, a three-axis control moment canceller and an energy system, which are arranged on a delivery mother spacecraft, and the delivery mother spacecraft is connected, through support rod structures, with a strong magnetic moment generating device, a contra-rotating transmission mechanism and two delivery connection rod structures arranged at the two ends of the contra-rotating transmission mechanism, the strong magnetic moment generating device is arranged between the contra-rotating transmission mechanism and the delivery mother spacecraft, the two delivery connection rod structures are provided with slidable mass blocks respectively, and the strong magnetic moment generating device and the contra-rotating transmission mechanism provide energy through the energy system. The strong magnetic moment generating device is free of accelerated rotation of an attitude, thereby decoupling the dual coupling.

A vertical take-off and landing spacecraft includes a body, a plurality of engines provided in the body to produce a jet flow and generate thrust, an abnormal signal acquiring unit that acquires an abnormal signal indicative of a presence of an abnormal engine among the plurality of engines, and an engine control unit that outputs a stop signal that stops a specific engine among a plurality of operating engines based on the abnormal signal.

An operation of a spacecraft is controlled using an inner-loop control determining first control inputs for momentum exchange devices to control an orientation of the spacecraft and an outer-loop control determining second control inputs for thrusters of the spacecraft to concurrently control a pose of the spacecraft and a momentum stored by the momentum exchange devices of the spacecraft. The outer-loop control determines the second control inputs using a model of dynamics of the spacecraft including dynamics of the inner-loop control, such that the outer-loop control accounts for effects of actuation of the momentum exchange devices according to the first control inputs determined by the inner-loop control. The thrusters and the momentum exchange devices are controlled according to at least a portion of the first and the second control inputs.

A method and apparatus for the control of the attitude of earth orbiting satellites and the orbit and attitude control of a novel gravitational wave detection satellite configuration located near the sun-earth Lagrangian points L3, L4 and L5, utilizing the control of solar radiation pressure by the use of electrically controllable variable reflection glass panels to provide the torques and forces needed.

The present technology relates to an imaging method of a satellite system and a transmission device that enable to perform imaging of an artificial satellite in accordance with an event having occurred on the ground, in remote sensing by the artificial satellite. The satellite system includes: the transmission device installed on the earth; and the artificial satellite having an imaging device. The transmission device transmits an imaging instruction to the artificial satellite passing in the sky, in accordance with a predetermined event detected by a sensor installed on the earth, and the artificial satellite performs imaging of an event occurrence region on the basis of the imaging instruction. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an artificial satellite or the like that performs satellite remote sensing.

The invention is methods for landing rockets with precision using deep reinforcement learning for control. Embodiments of the invention are comprised of three steps. First, sensors collect data about the rocket's physical landing environment, passing information to rocket's database and processors. Second, the processors manipulate the information with a deep reinforcement learning program to produce instructions. Third, the instructions command the rocket's control system for optimal performance during landing.

Various implementations of an extinguishable, solid propellant divert system for a flight vehicle are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for using the divert system to control the flight of a flight vehicle. In one implementation, a divert system includes a hot gas generator pneumatically linked to one or more divert thrusters and an extinguishment valve. The extinguishment valve can be opened to rapidly depressurize the hot gas generator and extinguish the solid propellant burning inside. In another implementation, a method of controlling the trajectory of the flight vehicle includes repeatedly igniting and extinguishing the solid propellant in a hot gas generator and using the hot gas to provide divert thrust for the flight vehicle.

A space-based circuit-replacing robotic system and method include a satellite grasper configured to grasp the satellite having a printed circuit onto which an integrated circuit is soldered and the integrated circuit is to be replaced; an access mechanism configured to remove the printed circuit and/or to provide access to the printed circuit; a printed circuit orientation device configured to orient a printed circuit such that sunlight is incident on the printed circuit; one or more temperature sensors configured to measure a temperature of the solder on the printed circuit; a processor configured to adjust a rate of heating to match a desired heating rate; a circuit grasping device configured to position the circuit for replacement; and an optical shield that is configured to be adjusted to allow light to pass substantially only to a desired area of the printed circuit.

A de-orbiting system for a space vehicle may include one or more lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries configured to release hot gases to be used for thrusting during de-orbiting of the apparatus. The system may also include one or more heaters surrounding each of the one or more Li-ion batteries, which are configured to send each of the one or more Li-ion batteries into a thermal runaway. The thermal runaway causes the one or more Li-ion batteries to release stored electrochemical energy within each of the one or more Li-ion batteries.