An apparatus includes a satellite in the form of a plate having a thickness being smaller than a width of the satellite. The apparatus also includes a plurality of contact points distributed on a face of the satellite, allowing for one or more additional satellites to be stacked upon the satellite.

A spacecraft sunshade is provided. The sunshade includes a surface that is maintained in a sun facing orientation. Adjustments to a position of the sunshade are made in a plane that is transverse to a line of sight to the sun, in order to block sunlight from being directly incident on an instrument associated with the spacecraft. The sunshade can include photovoltaic elements on the sun-facing surface of the sunshade. In addition, the sunshade can be formed from an opaque material, and further from a material that absorbs heat from the sun and reradiate that heat to the instrument. The sunshade can perform stray light blocking, electrical power generation, and radiational heating functions.

An exploration method includes: a step of exploring a natural resource on a satellite, a minor planet, or a planet; a step of acquiring the natural resource detected by the exploration; and a step of storing the acquired natural resource.

A solar array structure, such as for a spacecraft, uses thin solar array panels that, when in a stowed configuration, are stiffened by being bent or curved in one direction to be shaped like a section of a cylinder and placed within a rigid structural frame. As a curved solar panel is not as efficient as a flat panel directly facing the sun, the solar array panels are curved in their stowed configuration for launch only, but flatten after deployment by use of a partially flexible structural frame, where a rectangular frame is made of two opposing rigid sides and two opposing flexible sides, with a thin flexible solar panel attached to rigid sides only. The rigid sides are compressed during stowage to curve the panel before hold-down tensioning. The structure and panels return to their flat free state configuration after release.

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, based on the satellite exiting the launch vehicle, enable release of magnets or locks of an array, a release controller to control the release of the magnets or the locks of the array based on a release sequence to autonomously deploy the solar array, and a sequence analyzer to adapt the release sequence during execution of the release sequence, wherein adapting the release sequence includes changing an order in which the magnets or the locks of the array are released based on a degree to which the solar array is unfolded.

A solar array structure for a spacecraft is based on a modular approach, allowing for arrays to be designed, and designed to be modified, and manufactured in reduced time and with reduced cost. The embodiments for the solar array are formed of multiple copies of a “bay” of a multiple strings of solar array cells mounted on semi-rigid face-sheet structural elements. The bays are then placed into frame structures made of tubes connected by nodes to provide an easily scalable, configurable, and producible solar array wing structure. This allows for rapid turnaround of program specific designs and proposal iterations that is quickly adaptable to new/future PhotoVoltaic (PV) technologies and that can create uniquely shaped (i.e., not rectangular) arrays, allowing for mass production with simple mass producible building blocks.

Artificial satellite “Card-Sat” comprising a frame (1), an upper cover (2) and a lower cover (3), both covers (2, 3) being fixed to the frame (1), the frame (1), the upper cover (2) and the lower cover (3) defining a substantially paralelepipedic chamber (5), the satellite further comprising solar cells (6) fixed to the outer surface, in respect to the chamber (5), of the upper cover (2) and of the lower cover (3), and an avionics system (7), integrated on the inner surface, in respect to the chamber (5), of at least one of the upper cover (2) or the lower cover (3).

A satellite is provided, configured for stacking with another similarly designed satellite and to facilitate separation thereof. The satellite comprises a housing for carrying functional components, having a plurality of pairing arrangements and a separation arrangement. Each of the pairing arrangements comprises a post extending perpendicularly to a horizontal plane of the housing, and first and second guide members. First guide members of the satellite are configured to couple with second guide members of the other satellite when stacked therewith. The separation arrangement comprises a thrust element configured to impart an ejection force to facilitate the separation, and a release assembly configured to selectively facilitate allowing the ejection force to propel one of the satellites, thereby initiating the separation. The first guide member of the satellite cooperates with the second guide member of the other satellite to deflect it from the horizontal plane during separation.

[Object] To provide a sheet-like structure capable of highly accurately estimating a sheet-like shape.

[Solving Means] A sheet-like structure includes a sheet-like member and a plurality of detection sensors. The sheet-like member extends along an in-plane direction orthogonal to a thickness direction and receives light incident on the sheet-like member. The plurality of detection sensors are dispersedly arranged on the sheet-like member along the in-plane direction and are for detecting an incident angle of the light with respect to the sheet-like member at each arrangement position of the plurality of detection sensors.

An antenna system is configured for use in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) around Earth. The system has a plurality of antenna satellites coupled together to form a phased array. Each of the plurality of antenna satellites have an antenna body with an antenna and a solar cell. A processing device determines an orientation of the plurality of antenna satellites and position the phased array in the orientation based on an analysis of the solar cell of the antenna bodies facing the sun, the antenna of the antenna bodies facing the Earth, and maintaining a torque equilibrium of the phased array.