A disclosed spacecraft is provided with: an attitude control actuator configured to control an attitude of the spacecraft; an imaging device configured to receive an optical communication signal from another spacecraft; and an attitude controller configured to control the attitude control actuator, based on a position of the optical communication signal in an image obtained by the imaging device.

A disclosed spacecraft is provided with: an attitude control actuator configured to control an attitude of the spacecraft; an imaging device configured to receive an optical communication signal from another spacecraft; and an attitude controller configured to control the attitude control actuator, based on a position of the optical communication signal in an image obtained by the imaging device.

An energy conversion method transfers energy from celestial bodies, including the Earth, to a vehicle apparatus by way of a gravity assist, a descent towards the surface of the celestial body, or both. The energy transferred to the vehicle apparatus may be utilized by: a kinetic energy converter apparatus converting the kinetic energy to any form of kinetic energy, potential energy, or both; doing work on any end use process or power plant apparatus immediately, later, or both; storing the kinetic energy, the potential energy, or both on an accumulator apparatus to be utilized on site, at another location, or both.

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.

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.

An energy conversion method transfers energy from celestial bodies, including the Earth, to a vehicle apparatus by way of a gravity assist, a descent towards the surface of the celestial body, or both. The energy transferred to the vehicle apparatus may be utilized by: a kinetic energy converter apparatus converting the kinetic energy to any form of kinetic energy, potential energy, or both; doing work on any end use process or power plant apparatus immediately, later, or both; storing the kinetic energy, the potential energy, or both on an accumulator apparatus to be utilized on site, at another location, or both.

An energy conversion method transfers energy from celestial bodies, including the Earth, to a vehicle apparatus by way of a gravity assist, a descent towards the surface of the celestial body, or both. The energy transferred to the vehicle apparatus may be utilized by: a kinetic energy converter apparatus converting the kinetic energy to any form of kinetic energy, potential energy, or both; doing work on any end use process or power plant apparatus immediately, later, or both; storing the kinetic energy, the potential energy, or both on an accumulator apparatus to be utilized on site, at another location, or both.

Systems and methods for configuring, packaging, and deploying spacecraft are provided. More particularly, spacecraft are configured with statically mounted instruments. An end of the spacecraft to which the instruments are mounted is relatively distant from a spacecraft bus, and has a narrow width relative to the spacecraft bus. During launch multiple overlapping and interleaved spacecraft are disposed radially about a longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle.

Artificially directing a plurality of space-borne natural bodies to a target accretion region, such that gravitational forces amongst the plurality of space-borne natural bodies within the target accretion region produces an agglomerated space-borne body comprised of at least portions of the plurality of space-borne natural bodies. These teachings will accommodate use of a variety of space-borne natural bodies including asteroids, comets, and moons.

Artificially directing a plurality of space-borne natural bodies to a target accretion region, such that gravitational forces amongst the plurality of space-borne natural bodies within the target accretion region produces an agglomerated space-borne body comprised of at least portions of the plurality of space-borne natural bodies. These teachings will accommodate use of a variety of space-borne natural bodies including asteroids, comets, and moons.