Abstract: A method for position calculation of an antenna is provided. The method comprises calculating ranges between the antenna and the at least three transponders. The calculation includes range measurements between an antenna and at least three transponders. Respective positions of the at least three transponders are known. The method further comprises providing a first coordinate of three coordinates. The three coordinates indicate a position of the antenna. The method further comprises calculating second and third coordinates of the three coordinates based on the calculated ranges between the antenna and the at least three transponders. The method further comprises predicting ranges between the antenna and the at least three transponders based on the provided first coordinate and the calculated two coordinates. The method further comprises performing an optimization process based on the calculated ranges and the predicted ranges to infer an optimized position of the antenna.

Abstract: Computer systems (100) for satellite image acquisition and mission-plan calculation devices (120) for satellite and also Earth observation satellites (110). Based on the observation that the uncertainty connected with meteorological conditions can lead to the development of mission plans, for satellites, with low effectiveness, the uncertainty is characterized and used to improve the preparation of mission plans for satellite. A model of the uncertainties is built upon observations and/or past meteorological forecasts. Next, at the time of planning, the model is used by presenting the observations and/or the current forecast as input to the model. In that way, the acquisition zones for which it is unlikely to get acceptable images on the preferred acquisition date may be identified.

Abstract: A system for harvesting solar energy on a spacecraft includes a stiff substrate layer and a working layer disposed on the substrate layer to provide at least one of a photovoltaic or a reflective function. In a first operational state, the substrate layer is arranged as a tape spring to store potential energy which causes the substrate layer to uncoil and provide, in a second operational state, a photovoltaic module and/or a solar concentrator.

Abstract: Measures for managing satellite bearer resources of a satellite telecommunications network. A corpus of data based on historical satellite bearer resource allocations is maintained. A machine learning agent is trained with the corpus to determine a plurality of weights for use in directing satellite bearer resource management in the satellite telecommunications network. A satellite bearer resource allocation request is received. A set of features is extracted from a current environment of the satellite telecommunications network. The set of features defines currently allocated satellite bearer resources. On the basis of the determined plurality of weights and the set of features, satellite bearer resources of the satellite telecommunications network are managed to satisfy the request.

Abstract: A battery and an electrical battery monitoring device are disclosed having a first group of sensing switches connected in series on a first monitoring circuit, the sensing switches, a second group of electrical sensing switches connected in series on a second monitoring circuit, an input unit to provide an input to the first and second monitoring circuits, a monitoring unit to receive an output from the first and second monitoring circuits, wherein the monitoring unit receives at least two outputs from two measuring points of the first monitoring circuit, the two measuring points being separated by at least one sensing switch. The location of a defective battery cell may be early detected and precisely located by the monitoring of the battery cells in rows and columns.

Abstract: A power transmission apparatus includes a controller that controls a power transmitter that performs wireless power transmission. The controller is configured to: cause the processor to: cause the power transmitter to emit a first power transmission beam for which a first power is set; acquire feedback information on a result of reception of the first power transmission beam in a power reception apparatus; identify a power receiving capability in the power reception apparatus; and determine, with reference to the power receiving capability and the reception result, a second power which is usable in wireless power supply for the power reception apparatus and which is larger than the first power. The power receiving capability includes a maximum value of an input power range of the power reception apparatus. The wireless power transmission uses an electromagnetic wave having a frequency equal to or higher than that of a microwave.

Abstract: A circuit has at least one amplifier and a signal routing device such as one or more switches, and an array of antenna elements from which some subset must be enabled and processed at a time. The antenna elements can be grouped in accordance with an organization scheme (e.g., rows, columns) to enable more flexibility in selecting and routing the signals. The system is used to create one or more beams, which can be pointed (steered) to a wide range of directions by means of selecting one or more feed antennas in a switched-feed antenna without including full receive and transmit circuitry (DSP, frequency conversion) for each feed in the array. In this case, minimizing the number of DSP chains is desirable to reduce the cost, power, and complexity of the antenna. The resulting beam(s) can be combined and manipulated to support multiple users, track several targets, increase operational range, increase radar resolution, or data-rate in communications.

Abstract: A device for avoiding a potential conflict detected in a predetermined trajectory prediction horizon between a first trajectory of a first ship or aircraft and a second trajectory of a second ship or aircraft is disclosed. Each trajectory includes a plurality of segments formed between multiple navigation points. The device includes a determination unit for determining at least one lateral peripheral envelope of the first trajectory, a division unit for dividing the lateral peripheral envelope into a plurality of juxtaposed sections arranged longitudinally the ones after the others and delimited by transition lines marking the change between sections, each transition line cutting, at a first point of intersection, a segment of the first trajectory and, at a second point of intersection, and an edge of the lateral peripheral envelope, a discretisation unit, and a computing unit.

Abstract: The present teachings is generally directed to facilitating satellite and terrestrial internet communications. In some embodiments, configuration information for configuring a communications device may be retrieved. The configuration information may be provided to the communications device, and the communications device may be caused to be configured based on the configuration information. Responsive to receiving a first data signal from a first satellite, the communications device may be configured to generate and output a second data signal based on the first data signal, the first data signal including first data encoded using one or more space-based communication protocols, and the second data including second data encoded using one or more terrestrial-based communication protocols.

Abstract: An energy conversion and transmission system includes a thermal energy converter configured to convert thermal blackbody radiation energy to thermal infrared (IR) energy and to output a thermal IR energy stream. The system further includes a transmission device configured to receive the thermal IR energy stream from the thermal energy converter at a first location and output the thermal IR energy stream at a second location. The transmission device supplies the thermal IR energy stream to a thermal IR energy destination at the second location.

Abstract: Provided is a preparation method for a double-layer working medium target tape with a plasma-enhanced interfacial bonding force for a micro laser thruster. Aiming at the problem that in an existing micro laser thruster, when a working medium is ablated by a laser beam, due to a weak interlayer interfacial bonding force between a transparent film substrate and the coating working medium, sputtering or bulging occurs, which remarkably reduces propulsive performance, a method for treating a surface of a transparent film substrate with a low-temperature plasma is used to increase surface energy of a film and an adhesive force of a working medium layer on a surface of the film, thereby enhancing the interlayer interfacial bonding force. According to the method in the present disclosure, the transparent film substrate is treated with the low-temperature plasma.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a vortex thruster system is described herein that is configured to create at least three discrete thrust levels. In some embodiments, the vortex thruster system is configured to decompose a monopropellant and deliver the decomposed monopropellant into a vortex combustion chamber for generating various thrust levels. In some embodiments, the vortex thruster system includes a secondary propellant valve configured to deliver a secondary propellant into the vortex combustion chamber containing decomposed monopropellant to create a high thrust level. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.

Abstract: A method for structuring an insulating layer on a semiconductor wafer includes providing a semiconductor wafer with a top, a bottom and includes multiple solar cell stacks, wherein each solar cell stack is a Ge substrate, which forms the bottom of the semiconductor wafer, a Ge subcell and at least two III-V subcells, in the above order, and at least one passage opening, which extends from the top to the bottom of the semiconductor wafer and has a connected side wall, an insulating layer two-dimensionally deposited on the top of the semiconductor wafer, on the side wall of the passage opening and/or on the bottom of the semiconductor wafer, and the deposition of an etch-resistant filling material by means of a printing process on an area of the top which include the passage opening, and into the passage opening.

Abstract: An orbital satellite has a bus formed of a bus module and a payload module. Both the bus module and the payload modules may include a pair of panels integrally formed at an angle of for example 90° with respect to each other. Components and electronics supporting the satellite systems may be mounted on the panels of the bus and payload modules. Heat generated by the components and electronics are conducted between panels of the bus module and/or payload module. Sufficient heat transfer between panels occurs as a result of their being integrally formed with each other.

Abstract: An antenna system that includes a plurality of lens sets. Each lens set includes a lens and at least one feed element. At least one feed element is aligned with the lens and configured to direct a signal through the lens at a desired direction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for using printing process data to predict quality measures for three-dimensional (3D) printed objects and properties of the materials comprising the 3D objects. Printing may be performed using resistive or Joule printing. The system may include a computer communicatively coupled to a 3D printing apparatus, which may store printing parameters. The 3D printing apparatus may be able to take measurements during a print job, and record those measurements in memory. The 3D printing apparatus may also be able to record printing states before, during, and/or after printing. A combination of printing states, printing parameters, and measurements may be analyzed, for example, by a machine learning algorithm, in order to predict material properties and quality measures.

Abstract: A system aligns a 3D model of an environment with image frames of the environment and generates a visualization interface that displays a portion of the 3D model and a corresponding image frame. The system receives LIDAR data collected in the environment and generates a 3D model based on the LIDAR data. For each image frame, the system aligns the image frame with the 3D model. After aligning the image frames with the 3D model, when the system presents a portion of the 3D model in an interface, it also presents an image frame that corresponds to the portion of the 3D model.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory media are provided for timing half-duplex transmissions in a wireless communication system. An example method can include receiving, by a user terminal (UT), a radio frame transmitted by a satellite to a group of UTs; identifying an offset delay defined in the radio frame for scheduling transmissions between the satellite and each UT in the group of UTs, the offset delay providing non-overlapping time intervals for receive, process, and transmit operations at each UT; determining, based on the offset delay and a time when the radio frame was received by the UT, a time for transmitting an uplink radio burst to the satellite, wherein the uplink radio burst transmitted at the time is estimated to arrive at the satellite within a same radio frame interval as uplink radio bursts from other UTs; and transmitting, to the satellite, the uplink radio burst at the time.

Abstract: A bellows assembly includes a first compliant portion extending outwardly at a first angle relative to a lateral axis, a second compliant portion, and a third compliant portion extending outwardly at a second angle relative to the lateral axis. The second compliant portion is formed between, and coupled to, the first and third compliant portions. The first angle and the second angle are between about 30 degrees to 80 degrees, such that the first compliant portion and the third compliant portion form inward extending cone shapes.