A moon/planet complex, an orbiting docking spaceport, and transportation vehicles therebetween that includes i) moon/planet base station having a landing platform with a plurality of charged plates; ii) a moon/planet orbiting craft, docking spacecraft having landing platform with a plurality of charged plates; iii) a personnel transport spacecraft to shuttle personnel between an orbiting craft and planetary/moon base station having rotating electromagnetic rings 320 and/or rotating electromagnetic plates to interact with charged plates; iv) a large personnel/cargo transport spacecraft to shuttle personnel between an orbiting craft and planetary base station having rotating electromagnetic plates to interact with charged plates.

A structural spacecraft component comprising internal microstructure; wherein said microstructure comprises a plurality of parallel layers and a plurality of spacers that connect adjacent parallel layers; wherein said structural spacecraft component is a product of an additive manufacturing process.

A structural spacecraft component comprising internal microstructure; wherein said microstructure comprises a plurality of parallel layers and a plurality of spacers that connect adjacent parallel layers; wherein said structural spacecraft component is a product of an additive manufacturing process.

This invention is pioneering a Strategic Trans-orbital Carrier (herein called a carrier’) which merges the technologies attributes of a plurality commercial jet engines with a plurality reusable rocket engines to provide capabilities permitting a smooth computer-controlled transition from terrestrial air space to insertion into and thru low earth orbit (LEO) and into high geostationary earth orbit (GEO). A carrier would return back to terrestrial air space with carrying approximately 60 tons of any type of customers' defined cargo and passengers which would include intermodal container modules, complete DoD military strategic devices; heavy industrial outfitting apparatuses; building components for infrastructure complexes; personnel and robots; and space defensive materials to an in-situ space complex. With a fleet of carriers', a routine commercial services becomes available that are built to and guided by FAA flight regulations using specific airport with runways greater than 8,000 feet and that can handle a carriers weight.

Software-based solutions may mitigate physical damage to multi-layer networks, such as neural networks having shortcut (residual) connections. An example includes: providing a multi-layer network comprising a plurality of nodes; for each of a plurality of training cases: determining a set of dropout nodes, based at least on a damage model having a probability of a node being selected for dropout that is based at least on a target operating environment of the multi-layer network, wherein the probability of a node being selected is spatially correlated; and training the multi-layer network with the determined set of dropout nodes disabled (with a different set of dropout nodes for different training cases). In some examples the damage model involves expected physical radiation damage to a computing device hosting the multi-layer network, such as on board an aircraft or an earth-orbiting satellite. Thus, multiple degrees of expected damage may be addressed.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for protecting a vehicle from a radiation source (e.g., the sun) are provided. One apparatus includes a set of first wires and a set of second wires located proximate to the set of first wires. The set of first wires maintains a positive voltage and the set of second wires maintains a negative voltage. The set of first wire and the set of second wires are arranged to generate an electrostatic field (ESF) between the vehicle and the radiation source. A system includes a spacecraft and a field generator that generates an ESF between the spacecraft and a radiation source. A method includes tracking a location of a spacecraft relative to a radiation source and generating an ESF between the spacecraft and the radiation source.

A solar rejection system includes an enclosure for housing a sensor, and a movable sunshade. The housing has an opening or aperture for admitting light to the sensor, and the sunshade is moved as needed to prevent harmful solar illumination of the sensor. The sunshade may be a flat panel. The sunshade panel is mounted to a hinge that is located on one side of a large diameter bearing that allows the shade to be rotated around the aperture of the sensor to always prevent the sun from illuminating the aperture. The hinge allows the shade to be tilted to either allow the sensor to see further off axis without obscuration or to block the sun when it moves in front of the sensor. Full closure of the sunshade on its hinge allows it to also function as an aperture door, blocking the opening or aperture.

A solar rejection system includes an enclosure for housing a sensor, and a movable sunshade. The housing has an opening or aperture for admitting light to the sensor, and the sunshade is moved as needed to prevent harmful solar illumination of the sensor. The sunshade may be a flat panel. The sunshade panel is mounted to a hinge that is located on one side of a large diameter bearing that allows the shade to be rotated around the aperture of the sensor to always prevent the sun from illuminating the aperture. The hinge allows the shade to be tilted to either allow the sensor to see further off axis without obscuration or to block the sun when it moves in front of the sensor. Full closure of the sunshade on its hinge allows it to also function as an aperture door, blocking the opening or aperture.

A hold-down release apparatus includes a housing, a reciprocating retention member, a release member, bias member(s), and a fuse wire. The retention member moves between retention and release positions and is biased toward the release position. With the retention member in the release position, the release member can move out of the housing; with the retention member in the retention position, the retention member obstructs the release member from moving out of the housing. The fuse wire obstructs movement of the retention member to the release position and holds the retention member in the retention position against the bias force. With an actuation current flowing through the fuse wire, the bias force breaks the fuse wire, allowing the retention member to move to the release position in response to the bias force, and the release member to move out of the housing.

Diagnosing whether controllers of internal vehicle systems are the source of failures detected by a system control managing a vehicle such as a spacecraft. Highspeed data is received via at a field programmable gate array (FPGA) embedded in an assembly of the vehicle. The FPGA includes a controller and a digital diagnostic interface. In one embodiment, the diagnostic interface utilizes Very Highspeed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language (VHDL) for performance modeling of a controller configured to control at least one internal system within the vehicle. The VHDL performance models the controller. Upon receiving an indication of a failure, the performance modeling of the controller is used to ascertain whether or not the controller is the source of the failure. Disassembly of the assembly housing the internal system is not required in order to ascertain whether or not the controller is the source of the failure.