A space-based solar power station, a power generating satellite module and/or a method for collecting solar radiation and transmitting power generated using electrical current produced therefrom, and/or compactible structures and deployment mechanisms used to form and deploy such satellite modules and power generation tiles associated therewith are provided. Each satellite module and/or power generation tile may be formed of a compactable structure and deployment mechanism capable of reducing the payload area required to deliver the satellite module to an orbital formation within the space-based solar power station and reliably deploy it once in orbit.

Satellites having autonomously deployable solar arrays are disclosed. A disclosed example satellite includes a solar array, a sensor to detect that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle, a processor to enable ignition of squibs of a squib array based on the satellite exiting the launch vehicle, and a squib controller to control the ignition of the squibs based on a firing sequence of the squibs, where the squib controller is to vary the firing sequence to autonomously deploy the solar array.

A system and method of providing an affordable navigation, guidance and control system for arbitrary nano/micro launch vehicles by integrating commercial grade sensors with advanced estimation algorithms in a manner that provides sufficient accuracy of the resulting vehicle state estimates to inject nano/micro satellites into low earth orbits. The system and method uses commercial grade sensors and an advanced sensor-fusion estimator software that estimates and removes the estimated measurement errors and filters noise produced by the commercial grade sensors, resulting in estimated states with suitable accuracy. The filtered data are sent to a guidance and control system where actuator commands are formulated based on the filtered data. A simulated launch and flight of the launch vehicle is performed using the filtered data to validate that the GNC system and launch vehicle are ready for launch.

According to an embodiment, a system includes a controller configured to determine a set of background light intensities associated with a satellite, where each background light intensity corresponds to at least one of an orientation and a position of a light source relative to the satellite, to determine a set of relative orientations of the light source corresponding to the set of background light intensities, and to generate an image of the satellite based, at least in part, on the determined set of background light intensities and the determined set of relative orientations of the light source.

A satellite attitude data fusion system and method is disclosed, applicable to the earth satellite environment to estimate attitude data of the satellite. When the satellite attitude data fusion system of the present invention is used to perform the satellite attitude data fusion method, the first step is to perform a body rates quaternion attitude data processing operation. Then, the next step is to perform an attitude/rates data fusion processing operation, wherein an attitude data fusion algorithm module receives the first IAE result data from the first EKF, and the second JAE result data from the second EKF, and performs an attitude/rates data fusion algorithm in a subsystem level to evaluate an attitude estimation JAE performance.

A real-time compensation system of a projectile includes at least one flight controller, at least one imager device, at least one gyroscope, and at least one processor. The at least one flight controller is configured to rotate the projectile about an axis between a first orientation and a second orientation. The at least one imager device is configured to capture a first image at the first orientation and a second image at the second orientation. The at least one gyroscope is configured to sense a first angular rate of the projectile as the projectile rotates from the first orientation to the second orientation. The at least one processor is configured to determine a first rotation angle based upon the first and second images and a second rotation angle based upon the angular rate sensed by the at least one gyroscope, and determine a gyroscope compensation parameter.

Techniques for improving the quality of images captured by a remote sensing overhead platform such as a satellite. Sensor shifting is employed in an open-loop fashion to compensate for relative motion of the remote sensing overhead platform to the Earth. Control signals are generated for the sensor shift mechanism by an orbital motion compensation calculation that uses the predicted ephemeris (including orbit dynamics) and image geometry (overhead platform to target). Optionally, the calculation may use attitude and rate errors that are determined from on-board sensors.

An attitude control apparatus for a satellite includes: at least three electric motors, wherein the at least three electric motors are arranged in such a way that a torque may be generated with any orientation of an associated torque vector, and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to drive the at least three electric motors based on a torque controller. The torque controller is adapted to operate the at least three electric motors outside a rest state only when an acceleration torque and a braking torque are required to execute an agile attitude change maneuver. There is also described an associated method.

In an aerospace vehicle in which a satellite is detachably adapted to the first stage rocket and the second stage rocket, an electronic device 65 is installed in the satellite 60, wherein the electronic device 65 controls the first stage rocket 10 and the second stage rocket 20 before the satellite is detached from the first stage rocket 10 and the second stage rocket 20. Thereby, it is unnecessary to provide sensors, radio devices and electronic devices for exclusive use with respect to the first stage rocket 10 and the second stage rocket 20 so that a manufacturing cost of the rockets 10 and 20 can be reduced and a total weight of the rockets 10 and 20 can become lighter by omitting these equipments. Thus, an aerospace vehicle system within the rockets 10 and 20 can be simplified and a launch of the aerospace vehicle can be prepared within a short period.

According to an embodiment, a system includes a controller configured to determine a set of background light intensities associated with a satellite, where each background light intensity corresponds to at least one of an orientation and a position of a light source relative to the satellite, to determine a set of relative orientations of the light source corresponding to the set of background light intensities, and to generate an image of the satellite based, at least in part, on the determined set of background light intensities and the determined set of relative orientations of the light source.