SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A SPACECRAFT DOCKING STATION

Abstract

A spacecraft docking station is adapted to facilitate docking of spacecraft within outer space. According to one example, a spacecraft docking station may include a frame enclosing an area, and a net-like mesh coupled to the frame and filling the area enclosed by the frame. An autonomous robot may be coupled to the net-like mesh. One or more vessels may be coupled to the frame and/or the net-like mesh, where the one or more vessels include a propulsion mechanism. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also included.

Claims

1. A spacecraft docking station, comprising: a frame enclosing an area; and a net-like mesh coupled to the frame and filling the area enclosed by the frame.

2. The spacecraft docking station of claim 1, further comprising: an autonomous robot coupled to the net-like mesh.

3. The spacecraft docking station of claim 2, wherein the autonomous robot is electromagnetically coupled to the net-like mesh.

4. The spacecraft docking station of claim 1, wherein the frame forms a shape selected from one of a hexagon, circle, square, rectangle, octagon, or triangle.

5. The spacecraft docking station of claim 1, wherein the net-like mesh comprises a plurality of wires interconnected to form a pattern filling the area enclosed by the frame.

6. The spacecraft docking station of claim 5, wherein the plurality of interconnected wires are electrically conductive and magnetic.

7. The spacecraft docking station of claim 5, wherein the plurality of interconnected wires form a pattern of shapes selected from one of a hexagon, square, triangle, rectangle, or oblong shape.

8. The spacecraft docking station of claim 1, further comprising at least one vessel coupled to the frame or net-like mesh, the at least one vessel including a propulsion mechanism.

9. A spacecraft docking station, comprising: a frame enclosing an area; a plurality of wires coupled to the frame, the plurality of wires interconnected to form a net-like mesh filling the area enclosed by the frame; and an autonomous robot coupled to the net-like mesh.

10. The spacecraft docking station of claim 9, wherein the frame comprises a shape selected from one of a hexagon, circle, square, rectangle, octagon, or triangle.

11. The spacecraft docking station of claim 9, wherein the net-like mish comprises a pattern of shapes selected from one of a hexagon, square, triangle, rectangle, or oblong shape.

12. The spacecraft docking station of claim 9, wherein the plurality of wires are electrically conductive and magnetic.

13. The spacecraft docking station of claim 9, wherein the station is positioned in a geosynchronous orbit.

14. A method of making a spacecraft docking station, comprising: forming a frame to enclose an area; coupling a plurality of wires to the frame to form a net-like mesh filling the area enclosed by the frame.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: disposing an autonomous robot on the net-like mesh.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the autonomous robot is electromagnetically coupled to the net-like mesh.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the frame comprises: forming the frame with a shape selected from one of a hexagon, circle, square, rectangle, octagon, or triangle.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein coupling the plurality of wires to the frame comprises: coupling a plurality of electrically conductive and magnetic wires to the frame.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein coupling the plurality of wires to the frame to form the net-like mesh filling the area enclosed by the frame comprises: coupling the plurality of wires to the frame to form a net-like mesh exhibiting a pattern of shapes selected from one of a hexagon, square, triangle, rectangle, or oblong shape.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising: coupling at least one vessel to the frame or to the net-like mesh, the at least one vessel including a propulsion mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a spacecraft docking station according to at least one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a docking station according to at least one embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a close-up isometric view of a docking station according to at least one example.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting an example of a method of making a docking station according to at least one implementation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The word exemplary or embodiment is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any implementation or aspect described herein as exemplary or as an embodiment is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects of the disclosure. Likewise, the term aspects does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation.

[0018] Embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the aspects described herein. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that these and other aspects may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In addition, well known steps in a process may be omitted from flow diagrams and descriptions presented herein in order not to obscure the aspects of the disclosure. Similarly, well known components in a device or well-known systems may be omitted from figures and descriptions thereof presented herein in order not to obscure the aspects of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a spacecraft docking station 100 according to at least one embodiment. As shown, the spacecraft docking station 100 may include a frame 102 with a net-like mesh 104 coupled to the frame 102 and filling in an area enclosed by the frame 102. The frame 102 may be formed in various shapes. In the embodiment shown, the frame 102 has a hexagonal shape. By way of example and not limitation, the frame may be formed with sides of equal length. For example, each side may be 40 meters. Although a hexagonal shape is shown, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the frame 102 may be other desired shapes, such as circular, square, rectangular, octagonal, triangular, etc.

[0020] The net-like mesh 104 may be formed from a plurality of individual wires or wound wires. The individual or wound wires may be formed with an electrically conductive and magnetic material. The net-like mesh 104 may be formed with a geometric pattern with the openings in the mesh being sized and shaped to inhibit the passing of spacecraft through the mesh 104. In the example depicted, the mesh 104 is formed with a hexagonal (e.g., chicken wire) shape. Other shapes may include square, triangular, rectangular, oblong, etc. According to at least one embodiment, the openings in the mesh 104 are sized and shaped to inhibit spherical spacecraft vessels 106 having a diameter of 5 meters from passing through the mesh 104.

[0021] In operation, the docking station 100 may receive spacecrafts of various shapes and sizes. As depicted, at least one embodiment of a spacecraft may include ferromagnetic shelled vessels 106, an embodiment of which is described in U.S. Patent Application No. ______, entitled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIMPLED SPHERICAL STORAGE UNITS, by inventor Thomas Yost, and filed on the same day as this application, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. The magnetic net-like mesh 104 can hold the vessel 106 (or other metallic spacecraft) to the net-like mesh 104 to keep the vessel 106 in place. With a vessel 106 coupled with the net-like mesh 104, maintenance can be performed on the vessel 106, and/or the vessel 106 can provide needed aid to other spacecraft (e.g., fuel, repair parts, provisions, tools, etc.) to facilitate further travel from the docking station 100.

[0022] In some embodiments, the docking station 100 may further include a propulsion mechanism to facilitate location and orbit maintenance of the docking station 100. For example, a plurality of vessels 106 may be positioned on the docking station 100, where each vessel 106 provides propulsion. Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic diagram is shown for a docking station 100 formed as a hexagon. In one or more such embodiments, the vessels 106 may be positioned at corners relative to each other to form a rectangle within the hexagon. For example, a respective vessel 106 may be positioned at each point B, F, C, and E in FIG. 2 to provide thrust to the docking station 100 as needed.

[0023] In various implementations, the docking station 100 may be positioned in orbit where desired. In at least one implementation, the docking station 100 may be positioned in orbit at 51.6? to match the International Space Station (ISS), which can facilitate providing supplies and oxygen to the ISS. In at least another implementation, a docking station 100 may be positioned at 0? on the equator in a geosynchronous orbit, to facilitate reception of one or more vessels 106 launched from the upper stratosphere toward the docking station 100.

[0024] Referring back to FIG. 1, according to various aspects of the disclosure, the docking station 100 may further include at least one robot 108. The robot 108 may be autonomous to help manage spacecraft at the docking station 100. FIG. 3 is a close-up isometric view of the docking station 100 illustrating a robot 108 and several vessels 106 stationed at the docking station 100. As shown, the robot 108 may comprise a spider-shaped body with several legs extending from a central body. With an electrical current running through the net-like mesh 104, an electromagnetic effect can maintain the robot 108 attached to the net-like mesh 104, as well as the vessels 106. As depicted in FIG. 3, the robot 108 can aid the vessels 106 in attaching to the mesh 104. Using several vessels 106, the robot 108 may also arrange the vessels together in a cluster or lattice structure to form a larger spacecraft, an embodiment of which is described in U.S. Patent Application No. ______, entitled, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SMART SPHERICAL CLUSTER VESSELS, by inventor Thomas Yost, and filed on the same day as this application, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

[0025] Additional aspects of the present disclosure include methods of making a docking station, such as the docking station 100. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting a method of making a docking station according to at least one implementation. With reference to FIGS. 1-4, a frame 102 may be formed to enclose an area at 402. The frame 102 may be formed in any of a plurality of various shapes. As discussed herein, the frame 102 may be formed in geometric shape having all sides with an equal length, according to some embodiments. In various embodiments, the frame 102 may be formed with a shape of a hexagon, circle, square, rectangle, octagon, triangle, etc.

[0026] At 404, a plurality of wires may be coupled to the frame 102 to form a net-like mesh 104 filling the area enclosed by the frame 102. As discussed herein above, the plurality of wires may be individual wires and/or wound wires. The individual or wound wires may be formed with an electrically conductive and/or magnetic material. The net-like mesh 104 may be formed with a geometric pattern with the openings in the mesh being sized and shaped to inhibit the passing of spacecraft through the mesh 104. By way of example, and not limitation, the mesh 104 may be formed with a pattern of shapes selected from a hexagon, square, triangle, rectangle, or oblong shape.

[0027] According to some implementations, the method may further include an optional step at 406 of disposing an autonomous robot 108 onto the net-like mesh 104. As described herein, the robot 108 may comprise a spider-shaped body with several legs extending from a central body, and may be coupled to the net-like mesh 104 by an electromagnetic effect.

[0028] In some implementations, at step 408, one or more vessels 106 may also be coupled to the frame 102 and/or the net-like mesh 104, where the one or more vessels 106 include a propulsion mechanism.

[0029] As may be used herein, the term operable to or configurable to indicates that an element includes one or more of components, dimensions, circuits, instructions, modules, data, input(s), output(s), etc., to perform one or more of the described or necessary corresponding functions and may further include inferred coupling to one or more other items to perform the described or necessary corresponding functions. As may also be used herein, the term(s) coupled, coupled to, connected to and/or connecting or interconnecting includes direct connection or link between components or between nodes/devices and/or indirect connection between components or nodes/devices via an intervening item. As may further be used herein, inferred connections (i.e., where one element is connected to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect connection between two items in the same manner as connected to. As may be used herein, the terms substantially and approximately provides an industry-accepted tolerance for its corresponding term and/or relativity between items.

[0030] Note that the aspects of the present disclosure may be described herein as a process that is depicted as a schematic, a flow chart, a flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination corresponds to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0031] The various features of the disclosure described herein can be implemented in different systems and devices without departing from the disclosure. It should be noted that the foregoing aspects of the disclosure are merely examples and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. The description of the aspects of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. As such, the present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0032] In the foregoing specification, certain representative aspects have been described with reference to specific examples. Various modifications and changes may be made, however, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims. The specification and figures are illustrative, rather than restrictive, and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the scope of the claims should be determined by the descriptions herein and their legal equivalents rather than by merely the examples described. For example, the components and/or elements recited in any apparatus claims may be assembled or otherwise operationally configured in a variety of permutations and are accordingly not limited to the specific configuration recited in the claims.

[0033] Furthermore, certain benefits, other advantages and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to particular embodiments; however, any benefit, advantage, solution to a problem, or any element that may cause any particular benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or to become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or components of any or all the claims.

[0034] As used herein, the terms comprise, comprises, comprising, having, including, includes or any variation thereof, are intended to reference a nonexclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, composition or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements recited, but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, composition, or apparatus. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described structures, arrangements, applications, proportions, elements, materials, or components used in the practice of the present invention, in addition to those not specifically recited, may be varied or otherwise particularly adapted to specific environments, manufacturing specifications, design parameters, or other operating requirements without departing from the general principles of the same.

[0035] Moreover, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean one and only one unless specifically so stated, but rather one or more. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term some refers to one or more. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is intended to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. ? 112 (f) as a means-plus-function type element, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase means for or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase step for.