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 space vehicle may extract and store energy, and also include a propulsion system. The space vehicle includes one or more wings connected to a body of the apparatus. Each of the one or more wings includes a propellant system configured to eject mass away from the apparatus, the ejection of the mass causes the apparatus to move from a first position to a second position.

Various embodiments of a solar wing are disclosed. A solar wing sail generates power from a series of parallel, spaced-apart solar rib assemblies, each assembly having a solar array mounted on top. A sail is formed of transparent material that surrounds the solar rib assemblies, forming an airfoil. The power generated by the solar wing sail can be used to charge batteries and operate onboard electronics.

The invention provides an improved method and apparatus, in general, for a use of a sheaf of unclad waveguide beam-makers to provide for a multi-stage forcedly-conveying waveguide effect of waveguide fibers in combination with the self-focusing waveguide effect of parabolic antennas, on the one hand, to absorb the ambient radiation, and in particular, for sunlight rays energy absorption to detect and transform the energy into either warmth, or electrical power, or mechanical thrust, and, on the other hand, to transmit the wave-energy through a homogeneous poorly-permeable medium.

The invention relates to an apparatus for unfolding a rolled-up, elongate hollow body, having: at least one elongate hollow body which has a closed cross-sectional profile, and an unfolding mechanism which has a winding core on which the elongate hollow body is rolled up and compressed in a first state and which, by rotation, transfers the elongate hollow body from the first state into an unrolled and unfolded second state, wherein the unfolding mechanism has a supporting device, wherein the supporting device has an inner supporting element which is arranged in a cavity within the elongate hollow body and at least partially lies against the inner wall of the elongate hollow body, and has an outer fixing element which is arranged outside the elongate hollow body in the region of the inner supporting element such that the elongate hollow body can be guided through between the outer fixing element and the inner supporting element, wherein the inner supporting element interacts with the outer fixing element in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner for the axial positional fixing of the inner supporting element without being directly mechanically connected thereto.

A solar sail includes a bus and a plurality of separate movable vanes coupled to the bus. Each movable vane includes a reflective surface for generating solar radiation pressure and propel the solar sail in space. Each vane may be movable relative to the bus in a fully deployed configuration such that an amount of thrust generated by solar radiation pressure on each vane is controllable.

Various embodiments of a solar wing are disclosed. A solar wing sail generates power from a series of parallel, spaced-apart solar rib assemblies, each assembly having a solar array mounted on top. A sail is formed of transparent material that surrounds the solar rib assemblies, forming an airfoil. The power generated by the solar wing sail can be used to charge batteries and operate onboard electronics.

A gyromesh solar sail spacecraft having a gyromesh of solar sail panel assemblies, each with a reflective solar sail. The gyromesh of solar sail panel assemblies distributed around a hub and rim with a cable structure, the cable structure having a plurality of radial cables and plurality of circular cables, the radial cables extending from the hub linearly and the plurality circular cables encircling the hub. The solar sail panels assemblies attached to at least one of the plurality of circular cables, at least a portion of the solar sail panel assemblies attached to the circular cables by a plurality of actuators, respectively, wherein centrifugal force keeps the plurality of radial cables, plurality of circular cables, and solar sail panels extended from the rim.

A spacecraft is provided, which includes one or more of a centrally-oriented core, which includes a computing device. The computing device includes a processor and a memory, coupled to the processor, including computer instructions to control the spacecraft. The spacecraft may also include a power source, coupled to the core, a plurality of struts, each including a root end coupled the core and a distal end, the plurality of struts extending radially from the core. The spacecraft may also include a plurality of blade deployers, coupled to distal ends of the plurality of struts and a plurality of blades, coupled to the plurality of blade deployers and extending radially away from the core and in a common plane with the plurality of struts. The plurality of blades includes material configured to be deflected by solar pressure. Each of the struts is configured to provide damping to a corresponding blade.

A method of space travel using a high acceleration thrust vehicle in combination with a plurality of low acceleration thrust vehicles. A primary spacecraft has a kinetic launcher that is utilized to discharge a plurality of subsidiary spacecraft in order to navigate the primary spacecraft along a flight path. Each of the plurality of subsidiary spacecraft has a propulsion system, allowing each of the plurality of subsidiary spacecraft to navigate to a refueling point. The refueling point for each of the plurality of subsidiary spacecraft may be a central location or a unique position along a subsequent flight path. Each of the plurality of subsequent spacecraft is then reloaded onto the primary spacecraft or loaded onto a subsequent spacecraft for another voyage. The kinetic launcher can be repositioned in order to control the direction of the acceleration experienced by the primary spacecraft.