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:
Oct. 02, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 11, 1999
John E. Hanson, Mountain View, CA (US);
Raymond G. Zenick, Jr., Solana Beach, CA (US);
Richard D. Fleeter, Reston, VA (US);
Aeroastro, Inc., Herndon, VA (US);
Abstract
An inspection satellite is deployed in proximity to another satellite. The inspection satellite contains monitoring equipment and provides diagnostic information to a earth station to facilitate diagnosis of the other satellite and its equipment. The inspection satellite includes a flight control system that maintains the probe satellite in proximity to the satellite being monitored. In a preferred embodiment, the flight control system can also maintain the inspection satellite in an orbit about the satellite being monitored, to facilitate diagnostics based on patterns of signals. The monitoring equipment in a preferred embodiment for a transponder satellite includes an ability to monitor incoming signals and to compare the emissions from the satellite to them, to determine performance characteristics of the satellite equipment being monitored, such as phase shift and gain.