A system and method for installing, deploying, and recovering a plurality of spacecraft that provides an ease of use and structural stability, and facilitates a standardization of spacecraft design. In embodiments of this invention, threaded rods are arranged orthogonal to a surface of a baseplate, and each spacecraft includes a coupling mechanism that selectively engages or disengages each threaded rod. Each spacecraft is added to the stack by engaging its coupling mechanism and rotating the threaded rods while the preceding spacecraft on the stack disengage their coupling mechanisms, thereby enabling the spacecraft to travel along the threaded rods toward the baseplate. When all of the spacecraft are added to the stack, the stack is preloaded by rotating the treaded rods into a terminator component at the top of the stack while the coupling mechanisms in all of the spacecraft are disengaged. Spacecraft are deployed by reversing the process.

Enclosures for facilitating activities in space, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed. A representative system includes a spacecraft having an enclosed interior volume (which can be formed by an inflatable membrane) and one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) carried by the spacecraft and positioned to deploy into the enclosed interior volume. The system can include a remote-control system to control the one or more UAVs from a terrestrial location while the spacecraft is in space. A wireless charging system can provide electrical power to the one or more UAVs. A representative method includes configuring one or more controllers to launch a first spacecraft to a first orbit, launch a second spacecraft to a second orbit, move the first spacecraft to the second orbit, dock the first spacecraft with the second spacecraft, and broadcast an event within an interior volume of the first spacecraft to a terrestrial location.

A single-person spacecraft includes a pressurized crew enclosure, an external equipment bay, and an overhead crown assembly.

A Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) has an anode, a coaxial insulator, and a fiber propellant feed system. At least two cathodes insulated from each other are configured about the coaxial insulator to define an interior profile shaped into a nozzle region. At least one igniter fitted through each cathode. Wherein when the igniters are triggered, the igniters expel electrons toward the anode to ignite a primary high energy discharge between the anode and the cathodes thereby creating a plasma that vaporizes the fiber propellant. The dissociated fiber propellant combines with the primary high energy discharge to create a partially or fully ionized plasma, that is electromagnetically and electrothermally accelerated to produce predominantly {right arrow over (j)}×{right arrow over (B)}{right arrow over (j)}×{right arrow over (B)} thrust.

A spacecraft onboard equipment and payload storage system comprising a spacecraft having an interior volume, wherein said interior volume comprises a interior annular portion; a annular storage support track connected to said spacecraft within said spacecraft's interior annular portion; and at least one storage module that is movably connected to said annular storage support track.

A universal external port is proposed to add new functionality to or replace existing functionality of an already deployed spacecraft (e.g., a satellite in orbit). The universal external port is mounted on an external surface of the spacecraft and configured to connect to different types of external modules that have different functions, without removing components from the spacecraft other than one or more components of the universal external port. A communication interface onboard the spacecraft is configured to wirelessly receive a software patch from an entity remote from the spacecraft (e.g., from a ground terminal or other spacecraft) to program the spacecraft to change operation of the spacecraft to utilize the external module when the external module is connected to the universal external port.

A spacecraft chassis includes a chassis body defined by first and second opposing sides bound by a perimeter, wherein at least one heat-generating component is configured to be secured directly to the chassis body, and at least one heat dissipating feature configured to radiate heat generated from the at least one heat-generating component into outer space.

A system and method for installing, deploying, and recovering a plurality of spacecraft that provides an ease of use and structural stability, and facilitates a standardization of spacecraft design. In embodiments of this invention, threaded rods are arranged orthogonal to a surface of a baseplate, and each spacecraft includes a coupling mechanism that selectively engages or disengages each threaded rod. Each spacecraft is added to the stack by engaging its coupling mechanism and rotating the threaded rods while the preceding spacecraft on the stack disengage their coupling mechanisms, thereby enabling the spacecraft to travel along the threaded rods toward the baseplate. When all of the spacecraft are added to the stack, the stack is preloaded by rotating the treaded rods into a terminator component at the top of the stack while the coupling mechanisms in all of the spacecraft are disengaged. Spacecraft are deployed by reversing the process.

Provided herein are various improvements to launch vehicle payload systems, such as employed to launch and deploy secondary payloads into orbit. In one example, a system includes a fairing configured to encase a payload within an envelope of a primary fairing of a launch vehicle, and a mount system configured to adapt a mounting port for the payload to a mounting port associated with the launch vehicle. The system also includes a fairing door configured to be commanded open for deployment of the payload after the primary fairing has open.

A method for mediating an interaction between a control station and a remote system includes maintaining, at a command monitor, data characterizing an operation of the remote system in response to execution of commands at the remote system, receiving, at the command monitor, state information from the remote system, updating the data characterizing the operation of the remote system based on the received state information, receiving, at the command monitor, one or more commands sent from the control station, determining a predicted set of one or more outcomes that would result from execution of the one or more commands at the remote system based at least in part on the data characterizing the operation of the remote system, and preventing issuance of at least one command of the one or more commands at the remote system based on the predicted set of one or more outcomes.