Eads Space Transportation Gmbh

Astrium Gmbh

Frank Steinsiek

Bernd Bischof

Stephen Ransom

Hansjuergen Guenther

Wolf-Peter Foth

Christian Schaefer

Karl-Heinz Weber

Hans-Jochen Foth

Joerg Boettcher

To transmit energy without direct mechanical or electrical contact, a transmitter unit emits a laser beam onto a radiation receiver of a receiver unit including a photovoltaic cell arrangement surrounded by a ring-shaped reflector. A portion of the laser beam is reflected from the reflector back to the transmitter unit, where the received reflected signal is evaluated to determine the position of the laser beam impinging on the radiation receiver. The transmitter unit deflects the laser beam as necessary to impinge directly on the photovoltaic cell arrangement and track any relative motion of the receiver unit. The receiver unit orients the radiation receiver to optimize the energy reception. The position of the laser beam is modulated and the resulting variation of the reflected signal is evaluated to determine therefrom the position of the laser beam on the radiation receiver.

Method and apparatus for transmitting energy via a laser beam

A protection suit, particularly a spacesuit, has an opening in a back portion of the spacesuit for entering and exiting the suit. The spacesuit is suspended on one side of a bulkhead (') so that a hole in the bulkhead is aligned with the opening in the back portion of the suit. The opening is closeable by a backpack () which fits through the hole in the bulkhead into a decontamination chamber () on the opposite side of the bulkhead. Two sealing and interlocking systems are used. Each system has two subsystems to provide a total of four sealing and interlocking subsystems. A first subsystem () connects the spacesuit to the bulkhead that separates a living and working space from an airlock. A second subsystem () connects a backpack to the spacesuit (). A third subsystem () connects the spacesuit, preferably through the backpack (), to a decontamination chamber (). A fourth subsystem () connects the decontamination chamber to the bulkhead (&#x2032;). Each subsystem () is capable of hermetically sealing and interlocking the respective connection. The decontamination chamber is just large enough to accommodate the backpack.

Apparatus and method for putting on a protective suit

A recovery craft with a coupling arrangement captures, engages, and transports a defective or expended non-maneuverable spacecraft. The coupling arrangement includes a coupling mast (e.g. a telescoping pipe), a releasable rigid mount that secures one end of the coupling mast to the recovery craft, and spreader arms that are radially spreadable from the other end of the coupling mast. The spreader arms are initially radially inwardly retracted, and are inserted into an interface ring of the spacecraft. Then the spreader arms are radially outwardly extended to engage behind a protruding rim of the interface ring. A spring braces against the spacecraft. Next, the rigid mount is released and the coupling mast remains connected to the recovery craft only by a tension-transmitting cable. Thrusters of the recovery craft are activated to tow the spacecraft to a new target position, orbit, or trajectory.

Arrangement for recovering spacecraft

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Bremen, Germany

Frank Steinsiek