Space Systems/loral, LLC

Other

Alfred Heikal Tadros

Andrew E Turner

John Douglas Lymer

Peter Y Chu

Robert Edward Helmer

David B Mleczko

Jeff Aaron Baldwin

Robert Erik Schwarz

Jeffrey Donald Stoen

Adam Maher

Paul Anthony Briggs

Hai Ping Jin

Jonathan Noland

A spacecraft includes a plurality of deployable module elements, at least one of the deployable module elements including a robotic manipulator, the spacecraft being reconfigurable from a launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration. In the launch configuration, the deployable module elements are disposed in a launch vehicle in a first arrangement. In the on-orbit configuration, the deployable module elements are disposed in a second configuration. The spacecraft is self-assembled by the robotic manipulator reconfiguring the spacecraft from the launch configuration, through a transition configuration, to the on-orbit configuration. The deployable module elements may be in a stacked arrangement in the launch configuration and may be in a side-by-side arrangement in the on-orbit configuration.

Self-assembling persistent space platform

A first spacecraft and a second spacecraft are configured to be disposed together, in a launch configuration, for launch by a single launch vehicle. In the launch configuration, the first spacecraft is mechanically coupled with a primary payload adapter of the launch vehicle, and the second spacecraft is mechanically coupled with the first spacecraft by way of an inter-spacecraft coupling arrangement. The spacecraft are configured to be deployed, following injection into a first orbit by the launch vehicle, by separating the first spacecraft from the primary payload adapter while the second spacecraft is mechanically coupled with the first spacecraft. A first onboard propulsion subsystem of the first spacecraft includes one or more thrusters configured to execute an orbit transfer maneuver from the first orbit to a second orbit. A propellant line arrangement detachably couples the first onboard propulsion subsystem with a second propellant storage arrangement on the second spacecraft.

Cross-feeding propellant between stacked spacecraft

A method for reducing master antenna tracking errors in a multiplexing GPS receiver resulting in a differential phase measurement scheme which is insensitive to the master antenna tracking loop errors is disclosed. The master antenna tracking loop error at a given update K is subtracted from a phase measurement associated with a slave antenna signal at update K. The method comprises the determination of interpolation coefficients by which the master antenna tracking loop errors are weighted in order to minimize each of the slave antenna differential measurements.

Differential phase measurement scheme for a multiplexing GPS attitude

A method for operating an orbiting spacecraft includes the steps of (a) changing a mass distribution of the spacecraft from a first mass distribution for setting a first principal moment of inertia of the spacecraft along a first axis approximately equal to a second principal moment of inertia of the spacecraft along a second axis, thereby minimizing a gravity gradient torque about a third axis; (b) performing a desired activity while the gravity gradient torque about the third axis is minimized; and (c) resetting the mass distribution back to the first mass distribution at a completion of the desired activity. The spacecraft includes a plurality of solar array panels, and the step of changing is accomplished by varying a position of at least two of the solar array panels away from a sun-pointing configuration. Also disclosed is a method for stabilizing the spacecraft to resist a rotation about an axis by varying the positions of solar array panels.

Satellite gravity gradient compensation using on-orbit solar array

A system and method employ a sensing of the attitude or orientation of a spacecraft for correcting the orientation of a line of sight of an instrument carried by a spacecraft to compensate for a transient perturbation in the attitude of the spacecraft. The instrument may be a microwave antenna for communicating with a station on the earth, or a camera for viewing the earth. The transient perturbation in the orientation, such as may be caused by the firing of a thruster of the spacecraft, is extracted from a measurement of the spacecraft orientation, such as the orientation relative to the earth. The line of sight of the instrument is reoriented by injection of an incremental orientation equal and opposite to the transient perturbation. The application of the incremental orientation can be accomplished in mechanical fashion, in the case of an antenna mechanically mounted to the spacecraft, and electrically, as in the case of a phased array antenna carried by the spacecraft.

Spacecraft antenna pointing error correction

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Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Alfred Heikal Tadros