Artificially directing a plurality of space-borne natural bodies to a target accretion region, such that gravitational forces amongst the plurality of space-borne natural bodies within the target accretion region produces an agglomerated space-borne body comprised of at least portions of the plurality of space-borne natural bodies. These teachings will accommodate use of a variety of space-borne natural bodies including asteroids, comets, and moons.

Furlable sail devices, systems, and methods are provided in accordance with various embodiments. For example, some embodiments include a system and/or device that may include: a furlable boom; a furlable sail coupled with a distal end of the furlable boom; and/or a shear take-up mechanism coupled with a root end of the furlable sail. In some embodiments, the shear take-up mechanism applies tension to the furlable sail. The shear-take up mechanism may include one or more springs coupled with the root end of the furlable sail. In some embodiments, the furlable sheet includes a structural sheet. The structural sheet may include one or more areas with bending stiffness. The structural sheet may be fabricated to be self-supporting. In some embodiments, the furlable boom includes a slit-tube boom. Some embodiments may be configured as deorbit sails.

The dipole drive is a new propulsion system which uses ambient space plasma as propellant, thereby avoiding the need to carry any of its own. The dipole drive is constructed from two parallel screens, one charged positive, the other negative, creating an electric field between them with no significant field outside. Ambient solar wind protons entering the dipole drive field from the negative screen side are reflected out, with the angle of incidence equaling the angle of reflection, thereby providing lift if the screen is placed at an angle to the plasma wind. Protons entering from the positive side are accelerated out the negative screen, producing thrust. The dipole drive can achieve more than 3 mN/kWe in interplanetary space and better than 10 mN/kWe in Earth, Venus, Mars, or Jupiter orbit and offers potential as a means of achieving ultra-high velocities necessary for interstellar flight.

A deployable structure for use in establishing a reflectarray antenna is provided that includes a flexible reflectarray and a deployment structure that includes an endless pantograph for deploying the flexible reflectarray from a folded, undeployed state towards a deployed state in which the flexible reflectarray is substantially planar. In a particular embodiment, the deployment structure includes a plurality of tapes that engage the endless pantograph and are used to establish a positional relationship between the deployed reflectarray and another component of the reflectarray antenna.

The present disclosure relates to deployable structures and methods of use thereof. In particular, deployable structures with non-cylindrical or irregular shapes and methods of use thereof are disclosed. Non-cylindrical combustion elements can be used to rigidize such non-cylindrical or irregular shapes. The use of gaseous oxidizers along with deployable structures is also disclosed.

Provided are various spacecraft propulsion systems, and associated methods of operation. A spacecraft comprises an ion propulsion system and an ion blocker suspended from the spacecraft via one or more electrically insulated tethers. The ion propulsion system is configured to generate a first propulsive force by emitting a charged ion beam in a direction with an ion velocity vector comprising an ion vector component that is perpendicular to a magnetic field of a planet, such as Earth. The magnetic field causes the ion beam to curve toward the ion blocker at a trajectory such that ions within the ion beam are blocked by the ion blocker to generate a second propulsive force on the ion blocker. The ion blocker blocks the ions by contacting or deflecting the ions. The ion blocker is positioned approximately twice the gyroradius of the ion beam trajectory.

An assembly for deployment and retraction of a panel for outer space environment usage, includes a member secured to the panel with the member having an axis of rotation. Mass component connected to the panel, with panel wrapped about member with mass component positioned a first radial distance from the axis of rotation. Mass component has a mass per unit area greater than a mass per unit area of the panel adjacent to the mass component. With a rate of rotation of the mass component and member being same, the mass component rotates about the axis of rotation at a second radial distance from the axis of rotation, wherein the second radial distance is greater in dimension than the first radial distance. With a rate of rotation of the mass component and the member changed to be different, radial distance of the mass component to the axis of rotation decreases.

A deformable device includes a deformable beam or hinge having an extended state, a flattened state, and a rolled state if a beam, where a stiffness and strength of the deformable beam or the hinge in the extended state is greater than a different stiffness and strength of the deformable beam or the hinge in the flattened state. A cross section includes a first about V shape half and a second about V shape half. Each half includes a vertex with at least one curve extending into two walls at least one of the walls including a plurality of truss members, both of the walls extend into a joining edge. The first about V shape half and the second about V shape half are joined together at a seam of a joining edge of the first about V shape half and the second about V shape half.

A deformable device includes a deformable beam or hinge having an extended state, a flattened state, and a rolled state if a beam, where a stiffness and strength in the extended state is greater than a different stiffness and strength in the flattened state, the deformable beam or the hinge deformable along a long axis. An end face cross section transverse to the long axis includes a first periodic curved member which defines at least two shaped curves. A second periodic curved member defines at least two shaped curves. The second periodic curved member is mechanically coupled to the first periodic curved member at respective ends of the end face cross section. The first arc length of the first periodic curved member and the second arc length of the second periodic curved member are of about a same arc length.

A deployable structure for use in establishing a reflectarray antenna is provided that includes a flexible reflectarray and a deployment structure that includes an endless pantograph for deploying the flexible reflectarray from a folded, undeployed state towards a deployed state in which the flexible reflectarray is substantially planar. In a particular embodiment, the deployment structure includes a plurality of tapes that engage the endless pantograph and are used to establish a positional relationship between the deployed reflectarray and another component of the reflectarray antenna.