The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of

Kornel Nagy

Clarence J Wesselski

William C Schneider

Horacio M De La Fuente

John A Schliesing

Timothy E Pelischek

Edgar O Castro

Reginald B Berka

Donald C Wade

Paul D Smith

Jon B Kahn

Steven L Rickman

Gregg A Edeen

Robert C Ried

Irene E Verinder

John V Rivers

Richard C Parish

Herbert C Kavanaugh

Frederick J Stebbins

Joe Gamble

Kenneth R Kroll

Barney B Roberts

Carl D Scott

James B McDede

David A Hamilton

Methods and apparatus are provided for a single heavy-lift launch to place a complete, operational space station on-orbit. A payload including the space station takes the place of a Shuttle Orbiter using the launch vehicle of the Shuttle Orbiter. The payload includes a forward shroud, a core module, a propulsion module, and a transition module between the core module and the propulsion module. The essential subsystems are pre-integrated and verified on Earth. The core module provides means for attaching international modules with minimum impact to the overall design. The space station includes six control moment gyros for selectably operating in either LVLH (local-vertical local-horizontal) or SI (solar inertial) flight modes.

Heavy-lift vehicle-launched space station method and apparatus

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus relating to design, construction, integration and assembly of a space station. The present invention uses pre-integrated open (unpressurized) truss segments for modular construction of the space station. Each segment includes a truss structure and utility subsystems which may be fully assembled and tested on Earth. The segments may be latched together on orbit using a remote latching system. Utility subsystems, such as solar panels and radiators, are pre-integrated into the appropriate truss segment, and are deployable from the respective truss segment on orbit. Rails run lengthwise along the assembled truss. The rails may be used with a mobile transporter for translating truss segments with respect to the spacecraft as part of the space station assembly process. The rails may also be used with a mobile transporter for carrying crew personnel, a robotic arm, and other equipment.

Pre-integrated truss space station and method of assembly

An all metal energy dissipator construction for dissipating kinetic energy force (F) by rolling balls (26) which are forced by a tapered surface (32) on an expandable sleeve (22) to frictionally load a force rod (15). The balls (26) are maintained in an initial position (FIG. 1) by a plate member (48) which is biased by a spring member (50). A spring member (52) returns the force rod (15) to its initial position after a loading force (F) is removed.

Energy dissipator

A latching device which is lever operated sequentially to actuate a set of collet fingers to provide a radial expansion and to actuate a force mechanism to provide a compressive gripping force for attaching first and second devices to one another. The latching device includes a body member having elongated collet fingers which, in a deactuated condition, are insertable through bores on the first and second devices so that gripping terminal portions on the collet fingers are proximate to the end of the bore of the first device while a spring assembly on the body member is located proximate to the outer surface of a second device. A lever is rotatable through 90.degree. to move a latching rod to sequentially actuate and expand collet fingers and to actuate the spring assembly by compressing it. During the first 30.degree. of movement of the lever, the collet fingers are actuated by the latching rod to provide a radial expansion and during the last 60.degree. of movement of the lever, the spring assembly acts as a force mechanism and is actuated to develop a compressive latching force on the devices. The latching rod and lever are connected by a camming mechanism. The amount of spring force in the spring assembly can be adjusted; the body member can be permanently attached by a telescoping assembly to one of the devices; and the structure can be used as a pulling device for removing annular bearings or the like from blind bores.

Preloaded latching device

An aerobraking orbital transfer vehicle which includes an aerobraking device which also serves as a heat shield in the shape of a raked-off elliptic or circular cone with a circular or elliptical base, and with an ellipsoid or other blunt shape nose. The aerobraking device is fitted with a toroid-like skirt and is integral with the support structure of the propulsion system and other systems of the space vehicle. The vehicle is intended to be transported in components to a space station in lower earth orbit where it is assembled for use as a transportation system from low earth orbit to geosynchronous earth orbit and return. Conventional guidance means are included for autonomous flight.

Aerobraking orbital transfer vehicle

A disc brake system for a shuttle orbiter including an annular disc element (10) having internal radially directed and angularly spaced relief slots (12) and trapezoidial shaped carbon pad members (15) disposed circumferentially around the disc element. T Clips (19, 19') snugly engage the outer ends of the pad members and are attached to rivet heads (34, 35) and (34', 35') and have guide members (51, 51') slidably received in guide grooves (50, 50') in a spring housing (20). Springs (61) provide a force tending to move the T Clips toward the center of the disc where the magnitude of the force can be adjusted by a screw (65).

Preloaded brake disc

A triangular space station deployable in orbit. The framework is comprised of three trusses, formed of a pair of generally planar faces comprised of foldable struts which expand and lock into rigid structural engagement forming a repetition of equilateral triangles and non-folding diagonal struts interconnecting the two faces. The struts are joined together by node fittings. The framework can be packaged into a size and configuration which can be transported by a space shuttle orbiter in a single orbital flight and when deployed, provides large work/construction area and ample planar surface area for solar panels and thermal radiators. A plurality of modules are secured to the framework and then joined by tunnels to comprise an interconnected modular array disposed along the free edges of the framework. Thruster units for space station orientation and altitude maintenance are provided. The triangular space station provides a structurally stable unit having sufficiently high structural integrity and natural frequency for facilitating docking, satellite servicing and launch operations.

Shuttle-launch triangular space station

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Kornel Nagy