A ring, solenoid system can be utilized to terraform planetary conditions so that they remain hospitable to human life. Particles may help gases condense, by serving as condensation and deposition nuclei for gases in a thin atmosphere. An electrically conductive ring may be placed around Mars, to grant it an oppositional magnetic field, and protect it from the Sun's Solar Wind. Solenoids, which are rings with multiple loops, may also be used to amplify a planet's magnetic field, as solenoids can enhance magnetic field strength.

The present invention discloses a pulsed electric field propulsion system for spacecraft. The system includes a capacitor stack comprising an array of supercapacitors. Solid-state electronic circuits generate high time-rate-of-change currents and pulsed electric fields in pulse coils. The pulse coils direct the electric fields onto separated electric charges stored in the capacitor stack. The resulting unidirectional Lorentz Forces thereby generate thrust without reaction mass. Reaction momentum is carried away by Poynting Vector fields in conformity with the currently understood principles of electrodynamics. The design is scalable down to micro-chip sized thrusters.

A reconnaissance rover configured for multiple agile and autonomous landings over a small body or moon. The reconnaissance rover comprises a detection unit, a processing unit, a control unit and a drive unit. The detection unit is configured to detect at least an environment in front of the reconnaissance rover, in the direction of a trajectory of the reconnaissance rover over a surface of the small body or moon. The detection unit is further configured to provide environmental data based on the detected environment. The processing unit is configured to update the trajectory based upon the provided environmental data. The control unit interacts with the drive unit to move the reconnaissance rover according to the updated trajectory.

An apparatus includes a chamber and a bulk superconductor disposed within the chamber. The apparatus also includes a heating element coupled to the bulk superconductor.

Methods and apparatus to measure mass in low gravity environments are disclosed. A disclosed example low-gravity mass-measuring apparatus includes a coupler to couple a coupling portion to an object, the coupling portion including a first inertial measurement unit (IMU), a force device to provide a force to cause a movement of a dock relative to the coupling portion, where the dock is releasably couplable to the coupling portion and includes a second IMU, and a processor to calculate a mass of the object based on movement data from the first and second IMUs and the force.

A satellite system operates at altitudes between 180 km and 350 km relying on vehicles including an engine to counteract atmospheric drag to maintain near-constant orbit dynamics. The system operates at altitudes that are substantially lower than traditional satellites, reducing size, weight and cost of the vehicles and their constituent subsystems such as optical imagers, radars, and radio links. The system can include a large number of lower cost, mass, and altitude vehicles, enabling revisit times substantially shorter than previous satellite systems. The vehicles spend their orbit at low altitude, high atmospheric density conditions that have heretofore been virtually impossible to consider for stable orbits. Short revisit times at low altitudes enable near-real time imaging at high resolution and low cost. At such altitudes, the system has no impact on space junk issues of traditional LEO orbits, and is self-cleaning in that space junk or disabled craft will de-orbit.

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.

The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus of rotating mass attitude control. The method and apparatus entails rotating a mass to generate thrust. Varying the speed and direction of rotation provides some control of the magnitude and direction of the thrust generated. The method and apparatus of the invention pertinent to an attitude control system for spacecrafts or astromotive vehicles under conditions of zero to low gravity and atmosphere.

A matrix thruster that may be used to reposition and/or stabilize a CubeSAT satellite. The matrix thruster includes a conductive plate with an opening, a plurality of wires within the opening, a power supply electrically connected to the conductive plate or each of the plurality of wires via an inductor, and an electrical switch. The electrical switch creates a current change that creates an electric potential spike across the inductor. The electric potential spike across the inductor initiates an arc discharge between one of the wires and the conductive plate, which forms plasma that ejects cathode particles from the matrix thruster. Using multiple wires (e.g., four titanium wires) extends the lifetime of the thruster, as each wire restores an inter-electrode film needed for the other wires to continue generating plasma.

A free-floating spherical gimbal (gimbal) that includes a moving portion substantially spherical in shape and partially enclosed within a larger spherical and stationary cavity. The moving portion of the spherical gimbal is maintained in a location without direct mechanical contact with the stationary cavity.