Systems and methods for transferring, storing, and/or processing materials, such as fuel or propellant, in space, are disclosed. A representative system includes a flexible container that is changeable between a stowed configuration in which the flexible container is contained within a satellite, and a deployed configuration in which the flexible container extends away from the satellite. The system can include a tanker with a storage container to dock with and refuel a satellite. Another representative system includes a controller programmed with instructions that position a spacecraft with a storage container in a first orbit, transfer the spacecraft to a second orbit, dock the spacecraft with a satellite in the second orbit, transfer material between the storage container and the satellite, undock the spacecraft from the satellite, and, optionally, return the spacecraft to the first orbit. An androgynous coupling system with mechanical and fluid connectors facilitates docking and material transfer.

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.

A method of roll steering of a spacecraft to align an aspect of the spacecraft, such as the surface of solar arrays carried by the spacecraft, to the sun, is described. The roll steering occurs only when the sun is at an angle (β) relative to the orbital plane of the spacecraft and when the spacecraft is not eclipsed by a body it is orbiting. This dayside-only roll steering of the spacecraft increases the power efficiency of the spacecraft. A spacecraft may include a controller which causes an attitude control subsystem to steer the spacecraft about a roll axis to position the surface of the solar array such that an axis normal to the surface of the solar array is aligned with the direction to a sun when the sun is visible to the spacecraft, and maintain a fixed orientation of the spacecraft about the roll axis when the sun is not visible to the spacecraft.

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 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.

A method for determining the position of a spacecraft in space, includes cyclically÷ repeating steps of capturing distorted star images; processing the distorted star images to form distorted star group data; storing the distorted star group data; determining a current rotation rate by comparing the distorted star group data of two consecutive cycles; transmitting the current rotation rate to a position control system; and/or the following steps are carried out: processing the distorted star images of a current cycle to form rectified star group data; determining position information by matching the rectified star group data with star group catalog data which is carried along; transmitting the position information to the position control system. A method for determining the position of a spacecraft in space, taking into account known system parameters of an optical system, includes: coding star group catalog data with n = 3...4 stars [x.sub.n, y.sub.n, z.sub.n], which are visible in an image field, into representative focal-plane coordinates; forming a scaling-, translation-, and rotation-invariant star group code on the basis of [xPiX,yPiX]n; or coding star group catalog data with n = 3...4 stars [x.sub.n,y.sub.n, z.sub.n], which are visible in an image field, into representative tangent and/or angular coordinates [tan(a),tan(β)].sub.n. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out such methods and to a computer program product for carrying out such methods.

Systems and methods are provided for high fidelity long-duration autonomous spacecraft navigation relative to a planet's surface and measuring the dynamics of the planet. For a planet like Earth, embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to estimate the unpredictable components of Earth's orientation with respect to the inertial frame. Embodiments of the present disclosure further enable autonomous landmark navigation by providing systems and methods for satellites to autonomously recognize landmarks, using, for example, multiple computer vision approaches to recognize multiple types of landmarks.

Systems, methods and apparatus related to a self-preservation/self-protection system (SPS). The SPS system includes a local area situation awareness sensor suite (LASASS), multiple central pattern generator (mCPG) decision circuitries and related actuators. The SPS system utilizes the LASASS, mCPG circuitries and actuators to perform the desired processing and effectuate changes in the position of an object to be detected or avoided.

A space vehicle system includes a first star tracker disposed at a first location on or near the space vehicle, the first star tracker configured to obtain first images of a space object and stars and a second star tracker disposed at a second location on or near the space vehicle, at a distance D from the first location. The second star tracker is configured to obtain second images of the space object and the stars and the first images and the second images being stereoscopic images. The system also includes a processor configured to determine an estimate of a range from the space vehicle to the space object based on the first images and the second images.

This patent presents an attitude determination and control system based on a Quaternion Kalman Filter (QKF) with an extendable number of sensors and actuators. Furthermore, it is compatible with the spherical motor as its attitude actuator. The system includes a processor with a QKF, at least one direct attitude actuator, and at least two environmental sensors. Firstly, system dynamics calculates a first propagation attitude determination result. Next, update the first propagation with the attitude sensor measurements. Then, control the satellite's attitude via the attitude actuator closer to the attitude command provided by the user. The proposed system dynamic model could adjust the number of actuators and sensors freely without reprogramming the algorithms for new missions with new configurations on the actuators and sensors. Moreover, if some components fail, the algorithm can automatically remove those related sequences to avoid the overall failure of the system.