A magnetic field sensing apparatus including a magnetic flux concentrator, a plurality of magnetoresistance units, and a plurality of magnetization direction setting elements is provided. The magnetic flux concentrator has a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, and a plurality of side surfaces connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. The magnetoresistance units are respectively disposed beside the side surfaces. The magnetoresistance units are electrically connected to form an unchangeable Wheatstone full bridge. The magnetization direction setting elements set the magnetization directions of the magnetoresistance units into three different combinations in three different periods, respectively, so as to enable the unchangeable Wheatstone full bridge to respectively measure the magnetic field components in the three different directions in the three different periods.

A deployable multi-section boom comprising a first hinge assembly including a base section adapted to be attached to a structure, a movable section that is pivotably attached to the base section and a first boom attached to the movable section. The first hinge assembly is configured to allow the first boom to pivot in a first direction to a first predetermined maximum angle with respect to the base section. A first constant torque assembly constantly urges the first boom to pivot in the first direction and includes a component attached to the base section of the first hinge assembly. The multi-section boom includes a second hinge assembly that includes a first section attached to the first boom and a second section that is pivotably attached to the first section. A second boom is attached to the second section of the second hinge assembly wherein the second hinge assembly allows the second boom to pivot in a second direction to a second predetermined maximum angle with respect to the first boom. A second constant torque assembly constantly urges the second boom to pivot in the second direction and includes a component that is attached to the first section of the second hinge assembly. The first constant torque assembly and second constant torque assembly cooperate to configure the multi-section boom in a fully deployed state wherein the constant torque applied to the first boom causes the entire multi-section boom to pivot in the first direction while the constant torque applied to the second boom causes the second boom to simultaneously pivot in the second direction with respect to the first boom while the entire multi-section boom continues to pivot in the first direction. The multi-section boom is fully deployed when the first boom pivots to the first predetermined maximum angle and the second boom pivots to the second predetermined angle.

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.

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.

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.

Described herein are systems and methods for attitude determination using infrared Earth horizon sensors (EHSs) with Gaussian response characteristics. Attitude information is acquired by detecting Earth's infrared electromagnetic radiation and, subsequently, determining the region obscured by Earth in the sensors' fields of view to compute a nadir vector estimation in the spacecraft's body frame. The method can be applied when two sensors, each with known and distinct pointing directions, detect the horizon, which is defined as having their fields of view partially obscured by Earth. The method can be implemented compactly to provide high-accuracy attitude within small spacecraft, such as CubeSat-based satellites.

A magnetic field sensing apparatus including a magnetic flux concentrator and a plurality of magnetoresistance units is provided. The magnetic flux concentrator has a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, and a plurality of side surfaces connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. The magnetoresistance units are respectively disposed beside the side surfaces. The magnetoresistance units are electrically connected to form at least one kind of Wheatstone full bridge in three different periods, so as to measure magnetic field components in three different directions, respectively, and to cause the at least one kind of Wheatstone full bridge to output three signals corresponding to the magnetic field components in the three different directions, respectively.

Provided is an apparatus for controlling an orbiting satellite by sensing a change in a yaw angle of the orbiting satellite and calculating a ground sample distance (GSD) based on the yaw angle. The apparatus may include a sensor configured to sense a yaw angle corresponding to yaw steering of the orbiting satellite, and a processor configured to calculate, based on the yaw angle, a GSD corresponding to a length of a pixel projected onto a planetary surface scanned by the orbiting satellite.

A dipole cancellation system and method may include a plurality of magnetometers for measuring a device magnetic field associated with a plurality of device coils generating a device magnetic field having a primary magnetic dipole moment. A compensating coil carrying a compensating current running a first direction that generates a compensating magnetic field having a compensating magnetic dipole moment. The compensating coil may be positioned and the first current may be selected so that the compensating magnetic dipole moment completely cancels the primary magnetic dipole moment. A method may use the system to stabilize a spacecraft by calculating an estimated torque of the spacecraft, receiving a value for an external magnetic field, receiving a value for a device magnetic field, and calculating and applying a compensating current may be then applied to the compensating coil to cancel the primary magnetic dipole moment, wherein the spacecraft is stabilized.

A satellite propelled by laser ablation comprises: a device for managing the attitude and the orbit of the satellite; a device for capturing and potentially for processing the target spaceborne body; a device for external communication; a laser ablation propulsion device comprising one or more lasers and a module for managing the one or more lasers that is suitable for determining the one or more laser beams to be generated on the captured target spaceborne body according to the movement desired for the satellite; and a device for visually inspecting the target spaceborne body.