General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Lunar Helium-3 Mining, LLC

Drew F DeJarnette

Chris Salvino

Paul A Beatty

Matthew C Cristina

Patrick R Mickel

Andrew Dummer

Jason A Paxton

Described is a particle filtration system that protects a gas segregation region from lunar regolith dust by using, among other filtration elements, an integrated electromagnetic and electrostatic dust repelling system. The system includes a particle intake chamber with a particle repelling screen comprising a planar array of conductive wires energized with phase-shifted alternating current to generate a time-varying magnetic field. This field repels iron-rich dust particles laterally. An ionizing element located between the particle repelling screen and the gas segregation region. The ionizing element generates one or more electron curtains that charge neutral dust particles, which are then drawn to paired conductive plates via electrostatic attraction. A final-stage ULPA mesh filter captures any remaining particles, ensuring only gas enters the gas segregation region. This design enhances dust mitigation, improves gas collection efficiency, and protects sensitive components in harsh extraterrestrial environments.

Particle repelling arrangement

In some embodiments, systems are provided to determine distances to one or more objects, and comprise an image capture system; an angular movement system; an illumination source providing illumination having a time varying amplitude; and a range measurement circuit configured to: obtain, based on at least one of measured and induced LOS angular displacement changes relative to the image capture system, a set of candidate point-spread-functions (PSFs) corresponding to different possible ranges; deconvolve, using the candidate PSFs, at least a region of interest (ROI) in an evaluation image to obtain at least a set of deconvolved ROIs of the evaluation image, each corresponding to one of the candidate PSFs; identify a first candidate PSF that produces a deconvolved ROI resulting in a determined artifact power that is lower than a corresponding artifact power determined from the other candidate PSFs; and determine a distance corresponding to the first candidate PSF.

Systems and methods of imaging and/or range finding

Described is a particle filtration system that protects a gas segregation region from lunar regolith dust by using an electrostatic filter arrangement. An ionizing element (screen or bar, for example) generates one or more electron curtains that charge neutral dust particles, which are then drawn to paired conductive plates via electrostatic attraction. The system operates efficiently in vacuum conditions, leveraging field emission from sharp triangular apexes of the ionizing element/s to create high-density electron streams. A final-stage ULPA mesh filter captures any remaining particles, ensuring only gas enters the gas segregation region. This design enhances dust mitigation, improves gas collection efficiency, and protects sensitive components in harsh extraterrestrial environments.

Electrostatic filtration arrangement

Described herein are embodiments directed to collecting vaporize gas via a CPC arrangement. The CPC arrangement generally comprises a transporter that carries around a cover with one or more cryogenically cooled plates (or some other cryogenically cooled surface) therein. A plurality of CPCs dispersed on the transporter each have a concave reflective bowl that captures and directs sunlight through a fiberoptic cable where the sunlight is focused on regolith in an internal environment defined within the cover when resting atop the regolith. The focused sunlight heats the regolith and liberates the gas from the regolith, which is trapped in the internal environment. The gas in the internal environment condenses on the cooled plates where it can be collected and processed.

Compound parabolic concentrator arrangement

Some embodiments provide enhanced resolution imaging systems. These systems comprise: a mounting configured to secure with a vehicle; an electro-optical image capture system configured to sequentially obtain a series of frames per second; and a first jitter compensation system comprising: an angular velocity sensor system to detect velocity of change of line of sight angular displacement of the image capture system; and an image capture control circuit is configured to: receive, in real-time, angular velocity data from the angular velocity sensor system; identify, during the frame, when an angular velocity is less than an angular velocity threshold; and activate, during the frame, exposure of the image capture system to illumination for at least one of: at least a minimum integration period of time during the frame, and while the angular velocity is less than the angular velocity threshold during the frame.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Drew F DeJarnette