Levitation and Propulsion Unit-2 (LPU-2) is a thrust generating device able to generate resultant force to create motion without mass flow and/or momentum exchange. The technology primarily uses electromagnetic energy, permanent magnetic repulsive energy and kinetic energy, to generate internal resultant thrust or motion. This thrust generating device comprises of one or two rapid action enable and high driving force electromagnet moving magnet linear actuators with minimum moving parts. The technology mainly leverages on compression and expansion of compressed repulsive magnetic flux. Through regulation and systematic control of current to each electromagnet, the device is able to generate resultant force or motion without external interaction.

The planar electric motor for aerospace use is a one hundred percent electric thruster or motor and consists of a device capable of generating a thrust force on itself regardless of the environment around it even in vacuum or outer space. The impulse of the motor is produced by the interaction of the force fields generated by the current flowing through a primary conductor and a secondary conductor placed adjacent and parallel to the first conductor one, both being separated by means of an insulating material, the secondary conductor is interrupted, so that in order to complete the circuit, the charge carriers must jump the free space that constitute the secondary conductor breach, to achieve this the motor employs extremely brief high voltage pulses producing small impulses produce by the force of repulsion between both parallel currents that runs in opposite directions.

Some examples herein provide a method for generating a magnetic field. The method may include accumulating positive charges at a first electrode; accumulating negative charges at a second electrode; and rotating the first electrode relative to the second electrode so as to induce a relative angular velocity between the positive charges and the negative charges and thus generate a magnetic field. In some examples, the magnetic field may be used for propulsion.

Described hereafter is a device for the conversion of electromagnetic momentum into mechanical momentum to be used in airless environment. The device is built from rotating disk, made of non-magnetic material, on the circumference of which plurality of bar magnets are mounted. The bar magnets are in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the disk and in a plane, which is perpendicular to the radius of the disk that meets the centre of the bar magnet. The disk is driven by a motor that causes it to rotate. The magnets are positioned in an angle relative to the rotation axis of the disk. When the disk rotates, mechanical momentum, perpendicular to the plane of the rotating disk is generated. This momentum acts on the disk and causes it to move along the axis of rotation of the disk.

The present invention relates to an innovative thermal design concept of tailoring the absorptance and emittance of a coating—namely silicon oxide (SiOx) coated aluminized Kapton—as a radiator coating for small, nano-satellite (i.e., CubeSat) thermal management. The present invention improves on the thermal design of existing satellites, by: a) thermally coupling all components to the baseplate to eliminate the need for heater power for the battery; b) using all six sides of the CubeSat as radiators by changing the wall material from fiberglass to aluminum; c) using a different ratio of absorptance to emittance for each side by tailoring the SiO.sub.x thickness; d) having a high emittance for the wall interior and components; and e) eliminating the need for MLIs. The elimination of the MLIs reduces the volume and increases the clearance to minimize the risk for solar array deployment and cost of the thermal control subsystem.

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.

A series of the relay of the electromagnetic launcher with a gun and a floating launch platform to launch projectiles in space, wherein the projectile is accelerated along a path using electromagnetic force until the projectile reaches a desired direction and position. The direction of the path is determined by orienting the path in the desired direction using a catcher. the catcher and rail gun projectile as high above as possible, coming close to near space. When the said projectile will reach the last platform, it will be launched by the railgun and ignite its rocket engine to take the payload in space or as required to eliminate the need for large rocket boosters to launch the projectile.

A magnetic field propulsion unit includes a magnetic field generating device with multiple conductive lines conduct a current to generate a magnetic field; a contact breaker arrangement individually transitions each of the multiple conductive lines from a conductive state to a non-conductive state; an energy supply unit provides the magnetic field generating device with electrical energy; and a control unit controls the energy supply unit so that energy supply to each individual conductive line is controlled and control the contact breaker arrangement. The multiple conductive lines are arranged along a longitudinal axis. The control unit supplies a first conductive line with electrical energy so that a first magnetic field surrounding the first conductive line is generated, transitions the first conductive line to a non-conductive state, and supplies a second conductive line with electrical energy so that a second magnetic field is generated.

Methods of launching a vehicle using impulsive force are disclosed. In one instance, a vehicle is launched easterly with impulsive force in a plane corresponding to the vehicle's elliptical orbital path. In another instance, a method of closing a timing difference is disclosed. The vehicle undergoes a series of forces after impulsive launch. The first force establishes an orbit having a period significantly different from the orbital period of a satellite or desired vehicle location, closing the difference in an integer number of orbits. The second force establishes the vehicle in circular orbit with the satellite or desired vehicle location. In another instance, the vehicle launched impulsively from a first celestial body travels a first path, and the vehicle experiences a second force along a hyperbolic path about the second celestial body and enters circular orbit about the second celestial body.

An artificial satellite includes two pointing mechanisms. The pointing mechanisms respectively include main body side gimbals, deployed booms, thruster side gimbals, and thruster groups. The main body side gimbal connects the deployed boom to a satellite main body and adjusts a direction of the deployed boom. The thruster side gimbal connects the thruster to the deployed boom and adjusts the direction of the thruster. Each gimbal is a two-axis gimbal.