The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 11, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 28, 2017
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Falls Church, VA (US);
Carl B. Freidhoff, New Freedom, PA (US);
Clinton Ung, Ellicott City, MD (US);
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Falls Church, VA (US);
Abstract
A space ion analyzer in a spacecraft includes an axis and an aperture to receive an ion stream. An ion focuser to focus the ion stream along the axis responsive to a focus voltage, and an ion deflector deflects ions from the axis based on energies of the ions and a deflector voltage difference applied across plates of the ion deflector. A mass spectrometer on a chip (MSOC) directs ions from the ion deflector to an ion detector array responsive to an MSOC voltage difference applied to the MSOC. A focus voltage generator generates the focus voltage as a variable voltage referenced to a spacecraft ground. A deflector voltage generator generates the deflector voltage difference with a controllable magnitude and referenced to the spacecraft ground. An MSOC voltage generator generates the MSOC voltage difference with a controllable magnitude and referenced to a breaking potential controllable relative to the spacecraft ground.