A device for a spacecraft includes electronic boards; elements that are robust to radiation, i.e. that have a foreseeable failure rate that is lower than a threshold called acceptable threshold, comprising: a shared bus for exchanging electric power between electronic boards; a shared bus for exchanging data between the electronic boards; a module for managing the inputs/outputs and for telemetry gathering, per electronic board; an electrical level interface between an electronic board and the shared data exchange bus, per electronic board; wherein at least one electronic board comprises: a part equipped with COTS components whose failure rate is unforeseeable or greater than or equal to the acceptable threshold; and a firewall formed of components that are robust to radiation and whose failure rate is foreseeable and lower than the acceptable threshold, comprising a module for monitoring and protecting the power flows of the shared power exchange bus and a module for monitoring and protecting the inputs/outputs in order to manage the power supply and the communication of the components of the electronic board.

Example aspects of a deployed electromagnetic radiation deflector shield and a method for using a deployed electromagnetic radiation deflector shield are disclosed. The deployed electromagnetic radiation deflector shield can comprise a power supply; and an electromagnet configured to generate a magnetic field to deflect radiation; wherein the deployed electromagnetic radiation deflector shield is deployed at a distance away from one of a spacecraft and a base station to minimize an effect of the magnetic field on the one of the spacecraft and base station.

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.

Software-based solutions may mitigate physical damage to multi-layer networks, such as neural networks having shortcut (residual) connections. An example includes: providing a multi-layer network comprising a plurality of nodes; for each of a plurality of training cases: determining a set of dropout nodes, based at least on a damage model having a probability of a node being selected for dropout that is based at least on a target operating environment of the multi-layer network, wherein the probability of a node being selected is spatially correlated; and training the multi-layer network with the determined set of dropout nodes disabled (with a different set of dropout nodes for different training cases). In some examples the damage model involves expected physical radiation damage to a computing device hosting the multi-layer network, such as on board an aircraft or an earth-orbiting satellite. Thus, multiple degrees of expected damage may be addressed.

As spacecraft electronic control and human support systems get increasingly sophisticated, protection for those systems becomes more critical. Multilayer insulation (MLI) is a common thermal protection system on spacecraft, and it includes layers of metalized film that may build up electrostatic charge that can be hazardous in many respects. MLI should be electrically grounded to prevent the unwanted electrostatic buildup while meeting thermal performance requirements. Aspects of the present disclosure involve a significant improvement in grounding methods within a multilayer insulation structure with minimal thermal performance degradation. Metalized spacers create electrical continuity through layers and may have only a single layer connecting to chassis ground. Multiple spacers can be utilized for larger blankets for grounding redundancy. Thermal performance penalty can be orders of magnitude smaller than conventional techniques.

In a method of facilitating flight operations, a payload is coupled to a spacecraft via a payload interface. The relative alignment of the payload and the spacecraft is dynamically adjusted (e.g., for thrust alignment) while the payload remains coupled to the spacecraft.

In some aspects, this disclosure relates to improved Z-grade materials, such as those used for shielding, systems incorporating such materials, and processes for making such Z-grade materials. In some examples, the Z-grade material includes a diffusion zone including mixed metallic alloy material with both a high atomic number material and a lower atomic number material. In certain examples, a process for making Z-grade material includes combining a high atomic number material and a low atomic number material, and bonding the high atomic number material and the low atomic number together using diffusion bonding. The processes may include vacuum pressing material at an elevated temperature, such as a temperature near a softening or melting point of the low atomic number material. In another aspect, systems such as a vault or an electronic enclosure are disclosed, where one or more surfaces of Z-grade material make up part or all of the vault/enclosure.

The invention comprises a system of using small, hidden, machine-to-machine (M2M) chips to track automobiles through the radio emissions of the chips, and to use M2M chips as a defense against theft generally, by tracking potentially stolen items through the radio emissions of M2M chips. Users can monitor potential theft of the different parts of an automobile because the chips embedded into the automobile components will be constantly communicating with each other. Spacecraft and other near-earth objects, and drones, can also be tracked by M2M chips, that can be designed in a manner that makes them extremely difficult to find. The M2M chips can be designed in numerous different shapes, and use very little power. Some of the M2M chips are silicon wafer chips with small logic gates.

Protective blankets include a plurality of sheets of material operatively coupled together to define the protective blanket. The plurality of sheets includes at least one sheet composed of carbon nanotube reinforced composite material and at least one sheet composed of a different material. Methods of assembling protective blankets include layering the plurality of sheets and operatively coupling together the plurality of sheets. Spacecraft include a body and a protective blanket operatively coupled to the body. Methods of assembling spacecraft include coupling a protective blanket to the body of a spacecraft.

A device for a spacecraft includes electronic boards; elements that are robust to radiation, i.e. that have a foreseeable failure rate that is lower than a threshold called acceptable threshold, comprising: a shared bus for exchanging electric power between electronic boards; a shared bus for exchanging data between the electronic boards; a module for managing the inputs/outputs and for telemetry gathering, per electronic board; an electrical level interface between an electronic board and the shared data exchange bus, per electronic board; wherein at least one electronic board comprises: a part equipped with COTS components whose failure rate is unforeseeable or greater than or equal to the acceptable threshold; and a firewall formed of components that are robust to radiation and whose failure rate is foreseeable and lower than the acceptable threshold, comprising a module for monitoring and protecting the power flows of the shared power exchange bus and a module for monitoring and protecting the inputs/outputs in order to manage the power supply and the communication of the components of the electronic board.