A control system for an aerospace vehicle includes a voter and a plurality of control blocks. Each control block includes: a controller configured to receive an input signal and perform a control algorithm that includes an integral function on the input signal to provide an output signal; and a feedback controller that is configured to: receive the output signal from the controller, a reference signal from an external controller, and a plant feedback signal from an external plant; perform a feedback algorithm on the output signal to provide an feedback control signal; and perform a combinator algorithm using the reference signal, the plant feedback signal and the feedback control signal to provide the input signal to the controller; wherein the voter is configured to receive the output signals and perform a voting algorithm on the output signals to determine a control signal to provide to the external plant.

There is provided a vehicle for protecting an entity against directed-energy weapons, comprising: a housing; and a shield for absorbing or reflecting a laser beam, the shield, in use, extending in a plane from the housing. There is also provided a system of vehicles and a method of coordinating a plurality of vehicles to protect an entity against directed-energy weapons.

There is provided a vehicle for protecting an entity against directed-energy weapons, comprising: a housing; and a shield for absorbing or reflecting a laser beam, the shield, in use, extending in a plane from the housing. There is also provided a system of vehicles and a method of coordinating a plurality of vehicles to protect an entity against directed-energy weapons.

An example method executed by a controller onboard a spacecraft generates a mission plan in real-time that guides the spacecraft along a space autonomous mission to rendezvous with two or more orbiting target objects. The method includes establishing potential permutations for all possible unique maneuver sequences in which to visit the two or more orbiting target objects, and for each potential permutation, determining a collision-free maneuver plan for defining orbit trajectories to intercept each of the two or more orbiting target objects for each of the possible unique maneuver sequences. An optimal permutation is determined that meets viewing constraints of the two or more orbiting target objects, a viewing priority, and fuel constraints of the spacecraft. A mission visit plan is generated using the optimal permutation, and the spacecraft executes the plan to rendezvous with and inspect the two or more orbiting target objects.

A method for determining parking occupancy with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is disclosed. The method includes monitoring a parking area comprising one or more parking spaces. The method includes collecting one or more multimedia images from the UAV, of the parking area. The method includes sending the one or more multimedia images to one or more image stations, wherein the one or more image stations configured to send the one or more multimedia messages to one or more detection servers. The method includes predicting via the one or more detection servers an occupancy of the parking area; configured to perform object detection. The method includes publishing a prediction from the one or more detection servers to one or more UEs of one or more users.

A control system for an aerospace vehicle includes a voter and a plurality of control blocks. Each control block includes: a controller configured to receive an input signal and perform a control algorithm that includes an integral function on the input signal to provide an output signal; and a feedback controller that is configured to: receive the output signal from the controller, a reference signal from an external controller, and a plant feedback signal from an external plant; perform a feedback algorithm on the output signal to provide an feedback control signal; and perform a combinator algorithm using the reference signal, the plant feedback signal and the feedback control signal to provide the input signal to the controller; wherein the voter is configured to receive the output signals and perform a voting algorithm on the output signals to determine a control signal to provide to the external plant.

Rocket control is a difficult and unpredictable task in environments with inclement weather. As a result, launch missions are often strictly limited based on weather conditions. The present invention provides a device for controlling a rocket to account for environmental uncertainties and maintain optimal mission performance. In embodiments, the device is a radiation hardened field programmable gate array with an embedded artificial intelligence program contained in a graphics processing unit that is used for rocket reaction control by generating thrust vector commands.

A trajectory determination engine configured to determine one or more trajectories for an extraterrestrial vehicle. The trajectory determination system is further configured to: obtain a reference trajectory for an extraterrestrial vehicle from an initial state of the extraterrestrial vehicle to a user-specified target; receive a plurality of simulated flights that each represent a computation of a truth trajectory for a corresponding extraterrestrial vehicle in which an error is introduced such that the corresponding extraterrestrial vehicle is off-path from the reference trajectory by the error; select one of the truth trajectories for the extraterrestrial vehicle based on estimated movement of the extraterrestrial vehicle from the initial state towards the user-specified target; obtain a thrust profile that allows the extraterrestrial vehicle to adjust movement towards the user-specified target; and generate an updated truth trajectory for the extraterrestrial vehicle by combining the truth trajectory with the thrust profile.