Spacecraft servicing systems include a spacecraft servicing device and at least one mission extension pod comprising at least one spacecraft servicing component. The spacecraft servicing device is configured to transfer the at least pod to a target spacecraft in order to service the target spacecraft with the at least one spacecraft servicing component of the at least one pod. Spacecraft servicing pods configured to be supplied to a spacecraft with a spacecraft servicing device include at least one spacecraft servicing component.

Systems and methods are described for computing a trajectory of an object in space to a secondary body (M2) in orbit around a primary body to land on, or capture into orbit, or flyby M2 in a Three-Or-More Body Problem. A special plotting of sampled vectors from M2 are integrated backward using a Poincaré Map to form a “Swiss Cheese plot” to find a nominal trajectory. A funnel-like set of trajectories can be constructed along the nominal trajectory for navigation purposes. A global resonant encounter map over a sphere around M2 can be constructed to provide trajectories to, for example, flyby any point near M2, capture into orbit over any point about M2, land on any point on M2. Besides space exploration, there are many applications to the development of Cislunar space commercialization and colonization including asteroid capture and mining.

Spacecraft servicing devices and related methods may include a propellant tank configured to store a propellant and to be placed into fluid communication with a portion of the target spacecraft.

A system for securing spacecraft to a rocket and deploying the spacecraft into orbit includes a stack having a plurality of spacecraft arranged in layers, with each spacecraft being releasably mated with at least one spacecraft in an adjacent layer, and at least one hold down and deploy assembly configured to, in a first configuration, secure the layers of the stack together and secure the entire stack to the rocket, and, in a second configuration, release the entire stack from the rocket into orbit such that the layers passively separate.

A system for optimizing a low-thrust trajectory of a spacecraft trajectory for orbital transfer includes an interface to receive data, a memory to store scheduled geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) data and scheduled geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) data and computer-executable programs, and a processor. The processor is configured to provide a two-dimensional (2D) averaged trajectory consisting of a predetermined revolutions by executing the optimal control program using the GTO data and GEO data, arrange N equidistant points on the 2D averaged trajectory to form segments on the 2D averaged trajectory, obtain osculating elements corresponding to the segments by solving optimization problems for the segments, estimate initial guesses of the segments under continuous thrusting conditions in tangential directions at the N equidistant points, solve a minimum energy optimization problem to obtain a minimum energy 2D osculating trajectory by using as initial guess the concatenation of segments, compute a minimum energy three-dimensional (3D) osculating trajectory by linearly decreasing an inclination of the minimum energy 2D osculating trajectory to zero, and generating a minimum fuel 3D osculating trajectory by iteratively solving a cost function while changing a parameter from one to zero.

Spacecraft servicing systems include a spacecraft servicing device and at least one mission extension pod comprising at least one spacecraft servicing component. The spacecraft servicing device is configured to transfer the at least pod to a target spacecraft in order to service the target spacecraft with the at least one spacecraft servicing component of the at least one pod. Spacecraft servicing pods configured to be supplied to a spacecraft with a spacecraft servicing device include at least one spacecraft servicing component.

A method for providing optimized power balanced low thrust transfer orbits utilizing split thruster execution to minimize an electric orbit raising duration of an apparatus includes monitoring an electric power balance on the apparatus. The method also includes firing a first thruster in response to the apparatus exiting an eclipse and based on the electric power balance. The method additionally includes firing a second thruster at a predetermined time delay after firing the first thruster based on the electric power balance. The method additionally includes ending firing one of the first thruster or the second thruster after a predetermined time duration based on the electric power balance. The method further includes ending firing another of the first thruster or the second thruster in response to the apparatus entering a next eclipse.

Spacecraft servicing devices and related methods may include a propellant tank configured to store a propellant and to be placed into fluid communication with a portion of the target spacecraft.

An attitude control apparatus (20) includes an ideal thrust direction calculator (22), an ideal attitude calculator (24), a target attitude calculator (26), and a torque calculator (28). The ideal thrust direction calculator (22) calculates an ideal thrust direction of a thruster. The target attitude calculator (26) calculates a target attitude that is the attitude of a satellite in which a deviation from an ideal attitude is minimized within a movement limitation of an attitude control actuator (14) while a panel surface faces the sun. The torque calculator (28) calculates a torque for turning the satellite from an actual attitude to the target attitude and transmits a torque instruction to the attitude control actuator (14).

An ejection method (100) for ejecting at least one payload such as a satellite. The ejection method includes a step (108) of ejecting the payload from a spacecraft that is driven by a continuous propulsion force when the satellite is ejected.