Patents by Inventor R. Joseph Cassady

R. Joseph Cassady 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).

  • Three axis pulsed plasma thruster with angled cathode and anode strip lines
    Patent number: 6173565
    Abstract: A spacecraft attitude and altitude control system utilizes sets of three pulsed plasma thrusters connected to a single controller. The single controller controls the operation of each thruster in the set. The control of a set of three thrusters in the set makes it possible to provide a component of thrust along any one of three desired axes. This configuration reduces the total weight of a spacecraft since only one controller and its associated electronics is required for each set of thrusters rather than a controller for each thruster. The thrusters are positioned about the spacecraft such that the effect of the thrusters is balanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Primex Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: R. Joseph Cassady, Roger M. Myers, Robert D. Osborne