Abstract: For directly converting heat to electrical energy, for example in a spacecraft operating in space, at least one thermoelectric generator module is arranged in an evacuated chamber so as to receive thermal radiation from a heat source through the interior vacuum within the interior of the chamber. The thermoelectric generator module converts a portion of the received heat to electrical energy and rejects a portion of the heat by thermal conduction to a thermally conducting cooling body such as the chamber wall or directly by thermal radiation to the surrounding vacuum of space.

Abstract: A valve assembly for switching and/or regulating a medium flow of an aerospace engine includes a drive, a valve and a flexible separator element. The drive includes one or more electrically actuatable actuators, which change their length in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the valve assembly when a control voltage is applied to the actuators. The valve includes a valve piston, which can be moved back and forth along the longitudinal axis by the drive and which has a valve member. The flexible separator element delimits a working space of the valve from the drive, as a result of which the medium, which flows through the valve or is present in the working space, is hermetically separated from the drive.

Abstract: A rocket stage for a spacecraft includes an engine, a tank for storing a fuel and an oxidizer for combustion in the engine, a rocket stage primary structure, and an engine thrust frame that connects and transmits forces between the engine and the primary structure. The engine thrust frame includes at least an internal part thereof arranged internally within the tank. This internal part of the engine thrust frame forms an imperforate partition that divides an interior space of the tank into at least two chambers for storing the fuel and the oxidizer separately from one another. Propellant management devices including liquid guide vanes and refillable liquid reservoirs may be provided in connection with the partition in the tank interior space.

Abstract: A propellant tank for containing a propellant with a liquid phase, preferably for a satellite, includes a tank shell wrapped or wound with scintillating glass fibers, a gamma radiation emitter arranged preferably in the center of the tank, and photodiodes allocated to the glass fibers. Preferably, plural glass fibers are wound in cylindrically symmetrical sections around the tank, and the winding axis of the glass fibers extends through the tank outlet. The glass fibers scintillate and emit pulses of light in response to being impinged upon by gamma radiation. The quantity and location of liquid propellant in the tank is determined by evaluating the light signals emitted by the glass fibers. The tank shell is preferably fabricated of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or titanium, to minimize gamma radiation absorption in the tank shell wall, and thereby minimize the required emitting magnitude of the gamma radiation source.

Abstract: In a satellite-based augmentation system a data stream is generated that includes user messages having different message types. A plurality of predetermined unique sequences of message types are formed and each formed sequence is allocated to one of a plurality of data sources that are used for generating user messages in the satellite-based augmentation system. A data source is selected for generating a data stream that includes user messages. The selected data source generates the data stream including user messages by using the predetermined unique sequence of message types that is allocated to the selected data source.

Abstract: Method, computer program to implement method, storage medium to store the program and apparatus for computing Signal-in-Space Accuracy (SISA) parameters in a regional or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The method includes at least of: determining individual Signal-in-Space Error (SISE) vectors; mapping individual SISE vectors to a service area; accumulating empirical sample sets; processing density functions of estimations of accumulated sample sets; individually overbounding density functions in one of an overbounding sense related to the regional or GNSS or in a paired overbounding with excess mass sense; and selecting a worst case according to predefined requirements.

Abstract: A separator tank for separating and retaining a liquid phase from a liquid-gas fluid mixture is suitable for use with cryogenic as well as non-cryogenic liquids, in space experiments or other applications under weightless conditions. The separator tank has liquid storage members of porous, sponge-like metal foam arranged in a tank vessel. The total pore volume and porosity characteristics of the metal foam are selected to provide capillary uptake greater than the total volume of the liquid to be retained. In a preferred example, the liquid storage members are coaxially arranged, radially spaced, annular cylindrical members, with flow passage notches at alternating opposite ends thereof, to form a meandering fluid flow path therebetween. A gas extraction device is provided at the center of the tank. The separator tank and an upstream connected fluid supply tank can be arranged within a cryostat.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the position of an aerial vehicle involves receiving a radio signal from the aerial vehicle with an antenna array, determining the direction of arrival of the received radio signal, forming a reception beam of the antenna array depending on the determined direction of arrival for receiving one or more further radio signals from the aerial vehicle, calculating the ranging between the aerial vehicle and the antenna array based on a radio signal provided for ranging and received from the aerial vehicle, and evaluating the position of the aerial vehicle based on the calculated ranging, the determined direction of arrival, and the known position of the antenna array.

Abstract: An amplifier circuit includes a first and a second switching element connected in series between a first and a second voltage potential and are actuated in the amplifier mode in a clocked manner. A capacitive element is connected in parallel to at least one of the two switching elements, a measuring circuit for measuring the switching edges occurring during switching of the switching elements, and a current-determining circuit for determining the output current by means of the measured switching edges.

Abstract: Method and system for determining, via sensor network, position of GNSS receiver arranged in a motor vehicle intentionally is impaired in a targeted manner by interference source. Sensor network includes traffic route points having at least one sensor to detect a presence of interference source. Method includes detecting, as motor vehicle passes one of traffic route points, an interference signal emitted by interference source and/or a received signal of GNSS receiver impaired by interference source by the at least one sensor of the one traffic route point; processing the detected signals to establish whether interference source is present in passing motor vehicle; and when the presence of interference source established, generating information that signals at least a location of the one traffic route point and the interference source in the motor vehicle. A position of the motor vehicle is determined from the location of the traffic route point.

Abstract: An ion drive for a spacecraft, including a high-frequency generator for generating an alternating electromagnetic field for the ionization of a propellant and an acceleration system for the charge carriers, is provided. The ion drive includes a voltage source with which the high voltages that are necessary for the acceleration system can be derived from the currents and/or voltages generated by the high-frequency generator for generating the alternating electromagnetic field.

Abstract: A satellite-based SAR system having a space segment with a plurality of satellites and a ground segment with one or a plurality of ground stations is provided. A satellite receives a position report from an emergency transmitter in its service area and forwards it to a ground station. The ground segment stores the position of the emergency transmitter, received with the last position report, in a management system for emergency transmitters. The emergency transmitter sends position reports to the satellite such that the reception of position reports at the satellite is coordinated such that at any time only position reports arrive which differ with regard to their signal parameters such that simultaneous reception is possible. A rescue operation is initiated for the emergency transmitter if no deactivation message has been received from the emergency transmitter and no position report is received from the emergency transmitter within a specified period.

Abstract: A tank especially suitable for use as a fuel or oxidizer tank in spacecraft is divided into two tank spaces by a membrane. A liquid is stored on one side of the membrane and a pressure gas is stored on the other side of the membrane. The pressure gas is to drive the liquid out of the tank. The membrane is made of a polymer material and is held by a spring ring in a recess on the outer wall of the tank. The spring ring has a substantially C-shaped cross-section to exert elastic spring holding forces on the membrane in the recess.

Abstract: For capturing satellites and other orbital objects, one or more independent capturing units are releasably arranged on a spacecraft serving as a steerable carrier vehicle. Each capturing unit has a propellant charge and at least one braking thrust nozzle of its own, and a closeable capture net releasably connected to the capturing unit via a tether line. The net is deployed from the capturing unit to capture the orbital object. Position or attitude control engines of the carrier vehicle are operated for orienting the combination including the capturing unit and the orbital object captured in the net. The capturing unit is then released from the carrier vehicle, and applies a braking thrust to the captured object so as to deorbit the captured object together with the capturing unit.

Abstract: A method for resolving sub-carrier ambiguities of a total number of tracking channels of a binary offset carrier (BOC) navigation signal is provided. For a simultaneously considered subset of at least four tracking channels, a set of sub-carrier candidate ambiguities is determined based on the sub-carrier modulation. Position and receiver clock error are calculated for each possible combination of sub-carrier ambiguities. Predicted delays are calculated based on each calculated position and receiver clock error. Differences between the predicted delays and the delay candidates originating from each specific combination of subcarrier ambiguities are calculated. A residual is calculated based on the differences and the set of sub-carrier ambiguities and the corresponding position and receiver clock error leading to the smallest residual are selected.

Abstract: A method for removing volatile organic substances from the contained air of closed habitats includes a) conducting contained air through an adsorber bed formed by a hydrophobic zeolite bed, b) closing the adsorber bed, c) extracting the air from the adsorber bed and feeding the air into the closed habitat, d) desorbing the volatile organic substances, in particular freons such as R134a and VOCs, from the adsorber bed by heating the adsorber, e) leading the desorbed substances to an environment outside the closed habitat, wherein water vapor, water, or CO2 is fed to the adsorber bed through a flushing line. The device includes a housing for accommodating an adsorber, a contained-air supply line, a contained-air return line, a flushing line, and least one outlet-air line for returning air from the adsorber bed into the closed habitat and for conducting the desorbate to an environment outside the closed habitat.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a CDMA signal s(t) comprising N components involves assigning to each of the N components one unique spreading sequence an selected from a set of M spreading sequences with M?N, modulating the symbols dn of each component on the assigned unique spreading sequence an, and combining the N symbols dn each being spread with its own unique spreading sequence an to a CDMA signal s(t). The assigned spreading sequences an are selected such that all selected pairs within the set of N spreading sequences are orthogonal or very close to be orthogonal so that cross-correlation components between all spreading sequences an are close to zero or zero.

Abstract: Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system and method of processing signals in a SAR system. The SAR system includes includes a radar antenna having at least one partial antenna, of which each at least one partial antenna includes a plurality of phase centers with assigned transmit/receive modules and a signal processor for coherent processing of signals of the phase centers. The signal processors include a hybrid beam forming module structured and arranged to digitize and process analog receive signals received by the transmit/receive modules of the phase centers, and to convert the digitally processed receive signals into analog signals. Further, an analog receive network is structured and arranged to combine the analog signals of respective transmit/receive modules with one another to form an output signal.

Abstract: A method for regenerating an adsorber or absorber on board a submarine, wherein the adsorber or absorber is present in the interior of the submarine for binding metabolically generated CO2-containing harmful gases, and wherein the metabolically generated CO2-containing harmful gases are transferred outboard via a compressor. The thermal energy for regenerating the adsorber or absorber is generated by burning a hydrocarbonaceous energy carrier with oxygen, wherein at least one combustion product, together with the metabolically generated CO2-containing harmful gases, is transferred outboard via the compressor.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the integrity of a freight container along a transport route, the container having a sensor monitoring the container integrity, wherein the sensing of an event violating the container integrity is followed by event data representing the integrity violation being transmitted to an analysis center, wherein the event data is rated using predetermined criteria in respect of either a sanctioned or an unsanctioned integrity violation, and wherein opening or closing of the container is rated as a sanctioned integrity violation if an electronic authorization code representing the sanction is sent to the analysis center for the event data representing this integrity violation. Different types of opening and/or closing operations are distinguished by using authorization codes from different function groups, and the analysis center uses the type of function code to determine what type of opening operation and/or closing operation has taken, or is meant to take, place.