Patents by Inventor Christopher P. Volk

Christopher P. Volk has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Systems and methods for deploying a spacecraft arrangement
    Patent number: 10717551
    Abstract: A spacecraft system includes a plurality of spacecraft in a stack. The stack has one or more layers, each layer includes at least two spacecraft, and each spacecraft is releasably coupled to one or more adjacent spacecraft in the stack. The spacecraft system also includes a controller configured to, for each layer, (i) cause the layer to release from the stack, and (ii) after the layer releases from the stack, cause the at least two spacecraft in the layer to release from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Miguel A. Estevez, Jason D. Flathom, Gary E. Lemke, Dennis Yoichi Nakasone, Christopher P. Volk, Elvis D. Silva
  • Systems and Methods for Deploying Spacecraft
    Publication number: 20200024010
    Abstract: In an example, a spacecraft system includes a plurality of spacecraft in a stack. The stack has one or more layers, each layer includes at least two spacecraft, and each spacecraft is releasably coupled to one or more adjacent spacecraft in the stack. The spacecraft system also includes a controller configured to, for each layer, (i) cause the layer to release from the stack, and (ii) after the layer releases from the stack, cause the at least two spacecraft in the layer to release from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Miguel A. Estevez, Jason D. Flathom, Gary E. Lemke, Dennis Yoichi Nakasone, Christopher P. Volk, Elvis D. Silva
  • Systems and methods for deploying spacecraft
    Patent number: 10351268
    Abstract: A spacecraft system includes a plurality of spacecraft in a stack. The stack has one or more layers, each layer includes at least two spacecraft, and each spacecraft is releasably coupled to one or more adjacent spacecraft in the stack. The spacecraft system also includes a controller configured to, for each layer, (i) cause the layer to release from the stack, and (ii) after the layer releases from the stack, cause the at least two spacecraft in the layer to release from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Miguel A. Estevez, Jason D. Flathom, Gary E. Lemke, Dennis Yoichi Nakasone, Christopher P. Volk, Elvis D. Silva
  • Systems and Methods for Deploying Spacecraft
    Publication number: 20180162561
    Abstract: In an example, a spacecraft system includes a plurality of spacecraft in a stack. The stack has one or more layers, each layer includes at least two spacecraft, and each spacecraft is releasably coupled to one or more adjacent spacecraft in the stack. The spacecraft system also includes a controller configured to, for each layer, (i) cause the layer to release from the stack, and (ii) after the layer releases from the stack, cause the at least two spacecraft in the layer to release from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Miguel A. Estevez, Jason D. Flathom, Gary E. Lemke, Dennis Yoichi Nakasone, Christopher P. Volk, Elvis D. Silva