USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Paul Oppenheimer

Marcello Romano

William Mike Crane

James Hansen Newman

Joseph A Carroll

Eugene Levin

Adam Thurn

Jordan R Schlater

Curt Hogan

Shannon Coffey

Ivan Galysh

An agile attitude control system (AACS) that is a three axis attitude control device for small spacecraft based on miniature single gimbal control moment gyroscopes (SGCMGs) actuators. The AACS enables agile attitude slewing and accurate pointing/tracking for spacecraft made of multiple CubeSat units, or, more generally, for nanosatellites.

Agile attitude control system for small spacecraft

A tethered spacecraft has a first endmass and a second endmass with a telescoping stacer spring and a tether arranged between the endmasses. The spring is coiled around a center rod and initially contained within a housing, the spring being biased to push the first endmass away from the second endmass. The spring housing is affixed to the first endmass, a first end of the spring being affixed to the spring housing, and tether are affixed to spring at one end and to the second endmass at the other end. A pretensioned loop holds the endmasses abuttingly together, and a burnwire release mechanism cuts the loop to deploy the spring. Upon deployment, the spring extends to its full length to form a cylindrical boom, and the endmasses continue to move outward along the spring centerline until stopped by the tether.

Separation system and burn wire release mechanism for tethered spacecraft

A micro-coupling active release mechanism including a shape memory alloy (SMA) cylindrical ring that is fit into a bushing or other mating attachment creating an interference joint held in place by frictional forces. The interference joint can be released upon actuation in which the SMA cylindrical ring is heated causing it to shrink in size, relieving the frictional forces of the interference joint thereby releasing the SMA cylindrical ring from the bushing or other mating attachment.

Micro-coupling active release mechanism

A demountable docking interface mechanism and method for docking and undocking two spacecraft utilizing the demountable docking interface mechanism.

Spacecraft docking interface mechanism

Growing community of inventors

Edgewater, MD, United States of America

Paul Oppenheimer