Abstract: A first spacecraft includes a first fluid storage arrangement and a fluid flow metering arrangement including a holding tank coupled with the first fluid storage arrangement, a flow meter disposed proximate to the holding tank, and an active thermal control arrangement controlling the temperature of the flow meter and the holding tank. The first spacecraft is configured to service a second spacecraft, the second spacecraft including a second fluid storage arrangement, by transferring one or both of a propellant and a pressurant from the first fluid storage arrangement to the holding tank, and from the holding tank, through the flow meter, to the second fluid storage arrangement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for use in collection and removal of slurry or similar from a sty, a sty comprising such a device and to a method of installing a device at a sty, such as a pig sty, wherein the device comprises an one-piece body (2) having one or more funnels (3) wherein each funnel comprises at least one upper opening (3a) having an upper horizontal area enclosed by an upper edge (3a?) and a lower opening (3b) having a lower horizontal area enclosed by a lower edge (3b?), wherein the upper horizontal area is larger than the lower horizontal area, and the inside (3?) of the funnel is thus extending from the upper opening to the lower opening of the funnel, an encapsulation (4) enclosing the funnel from the lower edge of the funnel to the upper edge of the funnel, such that a ventilation space (5) is defined within the one-piece body between the encapsulation and the funnel.

Abstract: A constellation of Earth-orbiting spacecraft includes a first spacecraft disposed in a first orbit and a second spacecraft disposed in a second orbit. Each of the first orbit and the second orbit is substantially circular with a radius of approximately 42,164 km. The first orbit and the second orbit have a respective inclination with respect to the equator within a range of 5° to 20°. The first orbit has a first right ascension of ascending node (RAAN1) and the second orbit has a second RAAN (RAAN2) of approximately RAAN1+90°.

Abstract: Techniques for performing spacecraft rendezvous and/or docking include operating a first orbiting spacecraft, the first spacecraft including a sensor arrangement, a first processor and a first inter-satellite link (ISL) arrangement and performing one or both of a rendezvous operation and a docking operation with the first spacecraft and a second orbiting spacecraft, the second spacecraft including one or more actuators. The performing one or both of the rendezvous operation and the docking operation includes determining a pose and pose rate of the second spacecraft relative to the first spacecraft using observations made by the sensor arrangement and determining a desired approach trajectory for the second spacecraft.

Abstract: A low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite includes a global positioning receiver configured to receive first signaling from a first plurality of non-LEO navigation satellites. An inter-satellite transceiver is configured to send and receive inter-satellite communications with other LEO navigation satellites. At least one processor is configured to execute operational instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform operations that include: determining an orbital position of the LEO satellite based on the first signaling; and generating a navigation message based on the orbital position. A navigation signal transmitter configured to broadcast the navigation message to at least one client device, the navigation message facilitating the at least one client device to determine an enhanced position of the at least one client device based on the navigation message and further based on second signaling received from a second plurality of non-LEO navigation satellites.

Abstract: An apparatus for launching, recovering, transporting, and storing vehicles is disclosed. The apparatus stabilizes the vehicle while it is in operation or inactive and has a frame connected to at least one stabilizer. In certain configurations, the apparatus stabilizes the vehicle without using the vehicle's onboard landing gear. The apparatus may also include at least one pad connected to the apparatus.

Abstract: A spacecraft includes a structural interface adapter for mating to a launch vehicle, an aft surface disposed proximate thereto, and a forward surface disposed opposite thereto, a main body structure, including a plurality of sidewalls, disposed between the aft surface and the forward surface and a plurality of unfurlable antenna reflectors. At least one unfurlable antenna reflector is configured to be illuminated, in an on-orbit configuration, by a respective feed array. The spacecraft is reconfigurable from a launch configuration to the on-orbit configuration. In the launch configuration, the at least one unfurlable antenna reflector is disposed, undeployed, forward of the respective feed array, proximate to and outboard of one of the plurality of sidewalls. In the on-orbit configuration, the forward surface is substantially earth-facing and the at least one unfurlable antenna reflector is disposed, deployed, so as to be earth-facing from a position aft of the respective feed array.

Abstract: A satellite system that includes a gateway, a satellite, and a user terminal. The gateway determines a modulation scheme based on a function of uplink and downlink signal quality and a defined relationship between the downlink modulation to the uplink modulation. The satellite includes an input demodulator configured to apply an input modulation and coding (modcod) scheme; an output modulator configured to apply an output modcod scheme; and an output modcod scheme selector configured to select an output modcod scheme for the output modulator based on the input modcod scheme according a predetermined relationship between input modcod schemes and output modcod schemes. The user terminal providing the gateway a measure of downlink signal quality.

Abstract: In some aspects, there is provided a method for determining a rotational orientation of an object in an image. The image depicts the object in a scene. The method includes providing images depicting the object in the scene to a trained statistical model. The images depict the scene of the image at different rotation angles. A rotation angle of a respective image corresponds to a potential rotational orientation of the object depicted in the respective image. The method further includes, in response to the providing, receiving, for each image, a confidence score indicating a likelihood generated by the trained statistical model that the object is at the potential rotational orientation corresponding to the rotation angle of the respective image. The method further includes determining the rotational orientation of the object in the image based at least in part on an analysis of the confidence scores and respective potential rotational orientations.

Abstract: A spacecraft includes a body, a plurality of separate units, and a first auxiliary radiator panel. The body includes a plurality of sidewalls, at least a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls including an outboard-facing radiator surface having optical solar reflectors disposed thereon. A first subset of the plurality of units is thermally coupled with the outboard-facing radiator surface of the first sidewall. A second subset of the plurality of units is thermally coupled with the first auxiliary radiator panel and is isolated from at least conductive thermal heat transfer with the outboard-facing radiator surface of the first sidewall. The first subset of units is spatially proximate to the second subset of units and is configured to operate in a first temperature range. The second subset of units is configured to operate in a second temperature range, the second temperature range being different from the first temperature range.

Abstract: A method of visibility event navigation includes receiving, via processing circuitry of a client device, a first visibility event packet from a server, the first visibility event packet including information representing 3D surface elements of an environmental model that are occluded from a first viewcell and not occluded from a second viewcell, the first and second viewcells representing spatial regions of a specified navigational route within a real environment modeled by the environmental model. The method also includes acquiring, surface information representing the visible surfaces of the real environment at a sensor and determining, a position in the real environment by matching the surface information to the visibility event packet information. The method further includes transmitting, the position from the client device to the server and receiving a second visibility event packet from the server if the at least one position is within the specified navigational route.

Abstract: Technique for altering a client spacecraft's rotational rate including the precise positioning of a servicing spacecraft in close proximity of a client spacecraft, alignment of a fluid release output device on the servicing spacecraft that imparts a force on the client spacecraft by means of fluid release, and subsequent use of the fluid release output device to mitigate tumbling of the client spacecraft. This allows the servicing spacecraft to slow the rotation of a tumbling client spacecraft in order to perform additional servicing operations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) artifact suppression for enhanced three-dimensional feature extraction, change detection, and/or visualizations are described. In some aspects, the described systems and methods include a method for suppressing artifacts from complex SAR data associated with a scene. In some aspects, the described systems and methods include a method for creating a photo-realistic 3D model of a scene based on complex SAR data associated with a scene. In some aspects, the described systems and methods include a method for identifying three-dimensional (3D) features and changes in SAR imagery.

Abstract: A deployable mast structure (100) is disclosed, comprising a body configured to adopt a tubular shape when the mast structure is in a deployed configuration, and a plurality of openings (102) formed in a wall of the body so as to define a plurality of integral tape-spring hinges (103) in the wall of the body, the plurality of openings being configured so as to permit the body to collapse along its longitudinal axis into a stowed configuration when the tape-spring hinges are buckled. In the stowed configuration, the integral tape-spring hinges are configured to exert a force which urges the structure towards the deployed configuration. Since the mast structure collapses along its longitudinal axis, the structure only occupies a small volume in the stowed configuration. A method of fabricating the deployable mast structure from a layered composite material is also disclosed.

Abstract: A spacecraft includes a main body structure and a plurality of deployable modular reflector elements, the spacecraft being reconfigurable from a launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration. In the launch configuration, the modular reflector elements are disposed in a storage system that includes an arrangement for supporting the modular reflector elements with respect to dynamic launch loads. In the on-orbit configuration, in some implementations, an assembly of the plurality of modular reflector elements forms a large-aperture, offset fed, reflector, the reflector being coupled with a boom or yoke with the main body structure by way of a two or three axis positioning mechanism configured to steer the reflector with respect to the main body structure. In some implementations, in the on-orbit configuration, the plurality of modular reflector elements are assembled to form a large aperture reflective surface that is self-supporting.

Abstract: A scalable signal processing system is disclosed that processes digitized spectrum received from a constellation of satellites (or other sources), extracting multiple digital signals from multiple sources through multiple acquisition sites that is virtualized with high availability. A system of one or more antennas can receive a range of frequencies of raw spectrum covering multiple visible orbit planes, where a single antenna can receive signals from multiple satellite concurrently. This can be particularly useful when establishing a constellation satellites, where a number of satellites can be grouped together within an antenna's field of view. A group of digitizers receive the signals from the antennas and creates raw samples to form a spectrum sample pool. The spectrum sample pool is stored in a raw frame archive, where the digitizers and raw frame archive can be co-located and can also be co-located with one or more of the antennas.

Abstract: Described herein is a satellite communications system that includes: two or more satellites using laser communications, and a communications relay aircraft adapted for flying at altitudes above clouds. The communications relay aircraft includes: a laser communications module to communicate with the satellite using laser communication and a Radio Frequency (RF) communications module to communicate with RF equipment at or near ground level using cloud-penetrating RF communications. The RF communications module is configured to take data received as laser communication and generate a corresponding RF transmission containing the data. The laser communications module is configured to take data received as RF communication and to generate a corresponding laser transmission containing the data.

Abstract: Beamforming channels of a satellite are calibrated using a low power, spread spectrum calibration signal. The power of the calibration signal is below the noise level of a user signal in an active channel, allowing channels to be calibrated while active. When calibrating the transmit side circuitry, a two-stage calibration can be used, first calibrating the output hybrid matrix, then calibrating the whole of the transmit side. To improve performance, the dwell time spend calibrating a channel can be based on the power of the user signal in the channel. A transmit probe can be used to inject a calibration signal into the receive antennae and a receive probe can be used to extract the calibration signal from the transmit antennae. To reduce frequency of calibrations, the calibrations can be based on path-to-path differences. These techniques are also applied to multiport amplifiers (MPAs).

Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure provide high efficiency synthetic aperture radar satellite designs that achieve higher power efficiency and higher antenna aperture size to satellite mass ratios than the current state of the art. In various embodiments, a high efficiency synthetic aperture radar satellite includes a satellite bus and a parabolic reflector antenna coupled to the satellite bus. The satellite system may further include a traveling wave tube amplifier configured to drive the parabolic reflector antenna, and a body-mounted steering system configured to mechanically steer the satellite system to direct the parabolic reflector antenna. The satellite system may further include a processor configured to combine the pulse reflections and generate image data representing the region of interest, in which the image data is effectively obtained with a synthetic aperture greater than the actual antenna aperture.

Abstract: A spacecraft includes a plurality of deployable module elements, at least one of the deployable module elements including a robotic manipulator, the spacecraft being reconfigurable from a launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration. In the launch configuration, the deployable module elements are disposed in a launch vehicle in a first arrangement. In the on-orbit configuration, the deployable module elements are disposed in a second configuration. The spacecraft is self-assembled by the robotic manipulator reconfiguring the spacecraft from the launch configuration, through a transition configuration, to the on-orbit configuration. The deployable module elements may be in a stacked arrangement in the launch configuration and may be in a side-by-side arrangement in the on-orbit configuration.