A tank support assembly for a vehicle includes a vehicle structure and a storage tank assembly. The storage tank assembly is held in place relative to the vehicle structure via a magnetic support system. The magnetic support system includes tank magnets affixed to the storage tank assembly and structure magnets affixed to the vehicle structure. The tank magnets interact with the structure magnets to passively provide repulsive magnetic forces that constrain movement of the storage tank assembly relative to the vehicle structure without the tank magnets mechanically engaging the structure magnets.

A satellite assembly is disclosed, including a satellite and a shroud. The satellite is stowed in a launch vehicle and the shroud includes a frame supporting a flexible thermal blanket enclosing the satellite.

An extraplanetary habitat system includes a habitat located on a site including a layer of regolith material and one or more heat-generating systems located in the habitat. A heat exchanger is operably connected to the habitat. The heat exchanger is located beneath the layer of regolith material and is configured to conduct the heat from the habitat into the layer of regolith material. A method of cooling one or more heat generating components of an extraplanetary habitat includes directing a flow of fluid from the habitat to a heat exchanger located beneath a layer of regolith material, exchanging thermal energy between the flow of fluid and the regolith material, thereby cooling the volume of fluid, and directing the flow of fluid from the heat exchanger to the habitat, thus cooling the habitat.

A satellite apparatus is disclosed, including a housing having first and second opposing walls, and a support structure inside the housing spanning the first and second walls. The support structure is structurally connected to the housing only at the first and second walls, and an end portion of the support structure is configured for connection to a launch vehicle by a separation system.

To manage propellant in a spacecraft, the method of this disclosure includes storing propellant in a tank as a mixture of liquid and gas; transferring the propellant out of the tank; converting the mixture of liquid and gas propellant into a single phase, where the single phase is either liquid or gaseous; and supplying the single phase of the propellant to a thruster.

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

A control system configured to execute a safing mode sequence for a spacecraft is disclosed. The control system includes one or more star trackers that each include a field of view to capture light from a plurality of space objects surrounding the celestial body. The control system also includes one or more actuators, one or more processors in electronic communication with the one or more actuators, and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores data into a database and program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the control system to determine a current attitude of the spacecraft, and re-orient the spacecraft from a current attitude into a momentum neutral attitude.

An integrated condensing heat exchanger and water separator includes a microporous graphite plate, one or more water passages defined at a first side of the microporous graphite plate, and one or more air passages defined at a second side of the microporous graphite plate opposite the first side. An air inlet operably is connected to the one or more air passages to direct a flow of air through the one or more air passages at a first pressure, and a water inlet is operably connected to the one or more water passages to direct a flow of water through the one or more water passages at a second pressure lower than the first pressure. The microporous graphite plate is configured such that moisture condenses from the flow of air onto the second side and is wicked through the microporous graphite plate to the one or more water passages.

An integrated condensing heat exchanger and water separator includes a microporous graphite plate, one or more water passages defined at a first side of the microporous graphite plate, and one or more air passages defined at a second side of the microporous graphite plate opposite the first side. An air inlet operably is connected to the one or more air passages to direct a flow of air through the one or more air passages at a first pressure, and a water inlet is operably connected to the one or more water passages to direct a flow of water through the one or more water passages at a second pressure lower than the first pressure. The microporous graphite plate is configured such that moisture condenses from the flow of air onto the second side and is wicked through the microporous graphite plate to the one or more water passages.

An electrical power system has a dual battery configuration that enables sufficient power supply for a spacecraft bus and a payload module being carried by the spacecraft. During a sunlight power mode, power is drawn from a solar array of the bus to power a low-discharge payload of the spacecraft and a high-discharge payload of a payload module. During the sunlight power mode, a low rate discharge battery and a high rate discharge battery are charged by a battery charge management unit of the spacecraft bus. During an eclipse power mode, the low rate discharge battery powers the low-discharge payload of the spacecraft and the high rate discharge battery powers the high-discharge payload of the payload module. The high-rate discharge battery may also be used to power the high-rate discharge payload in the sunlight power mode to meet its high current demands to meet a flexible mission operations.