Honeywell International Inc.

Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

The Boeing Company

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Other

Jack Howard Jacobs

Matthew M Thomas

Robert Henry Wille

Marc E Meffe

Robert A Glowasky

Bruce E McIlroy

John M Haake

Duane D Grosskrueger

Cynthia Ann Gruensfelder

Bernie F Carpenter

John David Groeneveld

Alan R Perry

Lawrence Otto Brase, Jr

John Harold Caton

Michael James Hobey

Toren S Davis

Mason A Peck

Christopher J Heiberg

Tristram Tupper Hyde

Keith D Crawford

Steven Hadden

Michael Watson Geiger

L Porter Davis

James P Dunne

Jeffrey A Gadboys

Pamela G Layton

Ed C Moulton

Keith C Schuette

Micael Watson Geiger

Theodor Harry Beier

An spacecraft control system is provided that includes a tube and a plurality of microwheels. The plurality of microwheels is disposed within the tube. Each microwheel has a first stator wafer, a second stator wafer, and a rotor wafer disposed therebetween. The first and second stator wafers are configured to spin the rotor wafer.

Momentum tube for distributed actuation

A vehicle control system is provided that includes a slat having an axis, a plurality of microwheels disposed on the slat, each microwheel having a first stator wafer, a second stator wafer, and a rotor wafer disposed therebetween, the first and second stator wafers configured to spin the rotor wafer, and an actuator coupled to the slat and configured to at least partially rotate the slat about the axis.

System for vehicle attitude and/or momentum control

The present invention relates to a reaction wheel assembly and fiber optic gyro device. The device includes a reaction wheel assembly having a reaction wheel assembly housing, a fiber optic gyro coil integrated with the reaction wheel assembly housing, and a fiber optic gyro electronics integrated with the reaction wheel assembly housing. The fiber optic gyro coil may be wound around the reaction wheel assembly housing. The gyro coil may also be located within the reaction wheel assembly housing.

Integrated reaction wheel assembly and fiber optic gyro

An inertial reference system for a spacecraft includes an attitude control assembly and a plurality of force sensors. The attitude control assembly is coupled to a spacecraft body at a plurality of attachment points and at least one of the plurality of force sensors is integrated at each of the attachment points. In one embodiment, the force sensors are piezoelectric transducers. In another embodiment, the control assembly is coupled to the spacecraft body at four attachment points. In yet another embodiment, each of the force sensors is preloaded by a bolt that attaches the attitude control assembly to the spacecraft body.

Inertial reference system for a spacecraft

A remote Information Management Network routing system located either at an independent hosting facility or at a central station monitoring facility that receives event and alert information from a security or premise monitoring system and sequentially transmits interactive notifications about the event and alert information to wired and wireless devices specified in a user profile within the Information Management Network.

Information management network for automated delivery of alarm notifications and other information

A plurality of sensors provide spacecraft attitude signals to reaction wheel assemblies which provide converted signals to a flight controller that controls the reaction wheel assemblies. The reaction wheel assemblies include a secondary power supply to power the sensors, and power can be regenerated from the reaction wheels. A microcomputer in the reaction wheel assemblies can control the reaction wheel assemblies in place of the flight controller.

Multi-function reaction wheel assemblies for controlling spacecraft attitude

A reaction wheel system is provided that includes at least two rotors. The first rotor is the primary rotor that provides the large output torques to the vehicle. The second rotor is a vernier control rotor. The primary rotor and vernier control rotor each rotate about a common axis. The vernier control rotor has an inertial mass that is less than the inertial mass of the primary rotor, and rotates independently of the primary rotor. Because the vernier control rotor can be rotated independently from the primary rotor, it can be used to significantly improve the performance of the reaction wheel system. Specifically, the vernier control rotor is used to provide relatively small output torques. These relatively small output torques can be used to reduce the disturbances created by motor ripple, provide precise torque output control and/or reduce the disturbances created by static friction.

Reaction wheel system with vernier control rotor

A spacecraft payload, suspended by an isolator, is locked down during launch by using a compliant member to pull on a pin, clamping the payload against the launch lock. The payload is unlocked, after launch, by heating a shape memory alloy to move the pin to overcome the compliant member, releasing the payload from launch lock. The payload may be re-locked for reentry by heating another shape memory alloy to push the pin against the other shaped memory alloy.

Launch lock for spacecraft payloads

A gear drive having a third order damper operating with the antibacklash gear so as to lower the impact of the antibacklash gear at high torques to reduce gear wear while maintaining good contact with the antibacklash gear at lower torques to maintain high accuracy and bandwidth.

Gear transmission damping apparatus and method

A vibration isolator which may be constructed in the form of a cube for use in retrofitting a device which is subjected to unwanted vibration present in an attached member which utilizes an active vibration isolator and a passive isolator in series between the members and which may include an overload protection device in the form of a deformable member in parallel with the isolators.

Hybrid passive and active vibration isolator architecture

A control surface ( ) for an aircraft has a reinforced elastomer surface ( ) on a surface of the aircraft and has a perimeter ( ) attached to the aircraft. An actuation mechanism ( ) moves the reinforced elastomer surface ( ) from a first position, substantially conforming to a moldline of the aircraft, to a second position, protruding from the moldline of the aircraft.

Control surface for an aircraft

A control surface (,) for an aircraft has a reinforced elastomer surface (,) on a surface of the aircraft and has a perimeter (,) attached to the aircraft. An actuation mechanism (,) moves the reinforced elastomer surface (,) from a first position, substantially conforming to a moldline of the aircraft, to a second position, protruding from the moldline of the aircraft.

A connector tow for providing external electrical access to an electrical device embedded within a composite structure. The connector comprises a plurality of tubes disposed between a pair of opposed film layers. The film layers are adhered to opposite sides of the plurality of tubes and can be comprised of an insulating material so as to electrically isolate the plurality of tubes. By extending through the edge surface of the composite structure, the electrical ports can be accessed during the fabrication of the a composite structure such that the operations of the embedded electrical device can be monitored.

Connector tow

A fiber optic connector for establishing an optical connection with an optical fiber embedded within a composite structure is provided. The fiber optic connector includes a first lens element, such as a metal sheathed graded index (GRIN) lens, that is attached to the portion of the edge surface of the composite structure to which the optical fiber extends. The fiber optic connector also includes an alignment tube and a second optical fiber, external to the composite structure, having an end portion disposed within one end of the alignment tube. By sliding the other end of the alignment tube over the first lens element, optical communication is established between the first optical fiber embedded within the composite structure and the second optical fiber external to the composite structure. The fiber optic connector also typically includes a ferrule mounted upon the end portion of the second optical fiber and inserted at least partially into one end of the alignment tube. In order to effectively couple the optical signals between the embedded optical fiber and the external optical fiber, the fiber optic connector also generally includes a second lens element, such as a second GRIN lens, disposed within a medial portion of the alignment tube for collimating the optical signals.

Fiber optic connector and associated method for establishing an optical

An apparatus (30) for eliminating gaps (20) in a door of an airplane has an elastaueric bladder (32) bonding along an edge (24) of a door gap (20). The elastomeric bladder (32) includes a port providing for access to an interior cavity (34). A pneumatic actuator is coupled to the port.

Growing community of inventors

Glendale, AZ, United States of America

Jack Howard Jacobs