Techniques for performing orbit raising, north-south stationkeeping, east-west stationkeeping, and momentum management with thrusters disposed on a spacecraft are disclosed. The spacecraft includes at least one thruster support mechanism (TSM), including a pointing arrangement and an elongated structural member, the structural member having a long dimension defining a first axis a proximal portion of the structural member is attached to the pointing arrangement each of the thrusters is fixedly coupled with a distal portion of the structural member. The pointing arrangement includes a first, second, and third revolute joint, the first revolute joint being rotatable about the first axis; the third revolute joint being rotatable about a third axis, the third axis being fixed with respect to the spacecraft; and the second revolute joint being rotatable about a second axis, the second axis being orthogonal to each of the first axis and the third axis.

In an example, a method includes interacting electric fields from charges in conductors in different inertial reference frames to effect motion. The example method implements the mathematical framework that divides electric fields from charges in different inertial reference frames into separate electric field equations in electrically isolated conductors. The example method may implement the interaction of these electric fields to produce a force on an assembly that can, by way of illustration, propel a spacecraft using electricity without other propellant(s).

Systems and methods are described herein for mounting a thruster onto a vehicle. A thruster mounting structure may comprise a first, second, and third rotational joint, a boom, and thruster pallet, and a thruster attached to the thruster pallet. The first rotational joint may be attached to the vehicle and configured to rotate in a first axis. The first rotational joint may be connected to the boom and configured to pivot the boom about the first axis. The boom may be connected to the second rotational joint, which is connected to the third rotational joint and configured to rotate the third rotational joint in the first axis. The third rotational joint may be connected to the thruster pallet and configured to pivot the thruster pallet in a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

A circuit (400, 700, 800) comprising: a first power source (402) supplying first current to a load (470) during a first Period of Time (PoT); a second power source (416) supplying a second current to the load during a second POT; a Unidirectional Current Valve (UCV) in series with the first power source; a current detector (420, 702, 802) in series with the UCV (422); and a switch (424) in parallel with a series combination of the current detector and UCV to bypass the UCV during the second PoT. The current detector determines whether the second period of time has commenced and whether the switch has closed.

One or more embodiments relates to an air-breathing plasma thruster including a thruster wall, an anode, a cathode, and at least one ring electrode. The thruster wall defines a cylindrical channel, the cylindrical channel having a first end and an opposing second end in fluid communication with the first end, where the cylindrical channel is adapted to receive incoming airflow. The anode is at the first end of the channel and the cathode is at the second end of the channel opposite the first end. The at least one ring electrode is positioned on the thruster wall.

A battery assembly is provided. The assembly includes a battery containment apparatus including a chassis base and divider sheets coupled to the chassis base, wherein the divider sheets are spaced from each other such that a battery cell slot is defined between adjacent sheets. The apparatus further includes a compression plate assembly including first compression and second compression plates coupled to a divider sheet at opposing ends of the apparatus, and a tensioning member coupled between the first and second compression plates. A battery cell is positioned within each battery cell slot defining a plurality of battery cells, and the first and second compression plates compressively hold the battery cells between the divider sheets. At least one of the chassis base and the compression plate assembly are formed from a thermoplastic material.

Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of the invention implement mirrors that are more transparent to specific regions of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g. the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum) relative to conventional metallic mirrors (e.g. mirrors made form aluminum or silver). In one embodiment, a space-based solar power system includes: a photovoltaic material; and a mirror that isrelative to a 10 m thick sheet of aluminummore transparent to at least one of a substantial portion of the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum and a substantial portion of the radio wave region of the electromagnetic spectrum; where the mirror is configured to focus incident visible light onto the photovoltaic material.

Techniques for deorbiting a satellite include executing an orbit transfer maneuver that transfers the satellite from an operational orbit to an interim orbit. The operational orbit is substantially geosynchronous and has (i) an inclination of greater than 70 degrees; (ii) a nominal eccentricity in the range of 0.25 to 0.5; (iii) an argument of perigee of approximately 90 or approximately 270 degrees; (iv) a right ascension of ascending node of approximately 0; and (v) an operational orbit apogee altitude. The interim orbit has an initial second apogee altitude that is at least 4500 km higher than the first apogee altitude, and the interim orbit naturally decays, subsequent to the orbit transfer maneuver, such that the satellite will reenter Earth's atmosphere no longer than 25 years after completion of the orbit transfer maneuver.

A system for electromagnetically exciting certain molecules within a volume of gaseous working fluid or charge via transition frequency heating for propulsion, comprising an electrical energy source (EES), an electromagnetic wave generator (EWG), a reflection coefficient measurement device (RCMD), a controllable electrical matching network (EMN), a proportional integral derivative controller (PIDC), and a propulsor cavity (PC), wherein said PC further comprises a transmission line that comprises a waveguide and a radio frequency (RF) window, wherein said RF window provides optical access to a heating zone where the charge resides or passes through, wherein said heating zone resides in the flow path between a propulsion system's charge inlet and nozzle exhaust.

In one embodiment, an air-scoop includes an air inlet that air molecules enter the air-scoop through at an orbital speed when the air-scoop is moving through an atmosphere at the orbital speed. The air-scoop also includes a rotor that is rotated by a motor at a rotational speed, and the rotor includes multiple rotatable blade stages. A first one of the rotatable blade stages has a blade configuration that maximizes transparency of the first one of the rotatable blade stages to air molecules entering the air-scoop through the air inlet at the orbital speed when the rotor is rotating at the rotational speed. A last one of the rotatable blade stages has a blade configuration that maximizes opacity of the last one of the rotatable blade stages to air molecules in the air-scoop flowing directionally toward the air inlet when the rotor is rotating at the rotational speed.