Abstract: A system for fastening a mirror to a support is disclosed including intermediate structures, for example bipod structures. At least some of the intermediate structures are provided with torsion devices making it possible to at least partially compensate for optical aberrations of an instrument that includes the mirror. Each torsion device may comprise an elastic element and a variator. The variator is designed to control a deformation of the elastic element, resulting in a torque which is applied to the mirror.

Abstract: A satellite observation system and method of deploying a satellite system are disclosed. The system includes a plurality of observation satellites comprising one or more sensors, each of the plurality of observation satellites configured with at least a solar array and a mechanical stabilization element. Each of the plurality of observation satellites is constructed without positioning components. The plurality of observation satellites is positioned in a dawn/dusk sun-synchronous orbital plane about a celestial body such that the one or more observation sensors are oriented toward the celestial body.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing an optimal pest control recipe depending on a progress of disease and pest damages and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus for providing an optimal pest control recipe depending on a progress of disease and pest damages, in which the apparatus is connected with an photographing device and a user terminal, may include: an input module configured to receive image data of crops from the photographing device; a diagnosis module configured to analyze the image data to determine a type and progress of the disease and pest damages; a prescription module configured to generate a pest control recipe according to the determined progress of the disease and pest damages; and a communication module configured to transmit the pest control recipe to the user terminal.

Abstract: A tow cable system and method of use wherein, in the context of towed flight of a glider behind an aircraft, positive load or tension of the cable therebetween is achieved through one or more of cable design and material selection, cable pre-tensioning, in-flight cable tensioning, and/or load dampening device(s), and the related interplay of such various components or sub-systems of the overall tow cable system.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for using an antenna reflector to regulate a spacecraft temperature during orbit raising. When in a launch configuration, the antenna reflector may be stowed in a fairing of a launch vehicle. After the spacecraft is deployed from the launch vehicle and prior to orbit raising, the antenna reflector is moved from the launch configuration to an orbit raising configuration in which the antenna reflector is used to regulate the spacecraft temperature. The antenna reflector may be proximate a thermal radiator panel of the spacecraft when in the launch configuration. The antenna reflector may be positioned such that sunlight will reflect off the antenna reflector onto the thermal radiator panel, thereby warming the spacecraft. After orbit raising, the antenna reflector is moved from the orbit raising configuration to an operational configuration in which a boresight of the antenna reflector may be directed toward nadir.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for a power control and distribution unit (PCDU) of a spacecraft that has a microcontroller to control battery charging from solar arrays. Using a microcontroller within the PCDU reduces the complexity of the PCDU. The microcontroller may be programmable and reprogrammable, which allows the charging of the battery to be adapted to various conditions. For example, the microcontroller can be programmed in accordance with the mission to optimize battery charging for that mission.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for reverse current protection for a photovoltaic module string. An apparatus has a switch connected between each respective PV module string and a power bus. A control circuit closes a set of the switches to connect a set of the PV module strings to the power bus to transfer power from the set of the photovoltaic PV module strings to the power bus. The control circuit determines whether a reverse current flows in the direction from the power bus to any of the PV module strings. The control circuit maintains the switch associated with a particular PV module string in an open state to prevent reverse current from flowing in the particular PV module string responsive to a determination that a reverse current flows in the particular PV module string when the particular PV module string is connected to the power bus.

Abstract: A computer system of the present invention comprises a processor unit, and is configured to be capable of communicating with a user device operated by a first user and a satellite. The satellite includes a religious object and an information providing means for providing information associated with the religious object. The processor unit is configured to execute at least the following: acquiring location data indicating a location on Earth of the first user; acquiring bearing data indicating a bearing; calculating, on the basis of the location data and the bearing data, a time period in which the satellite is located in a predetermined space extending toward the bearing from the location on Earth of the first user; and providing the user device with information associated with the religious object provided by the information providing means of the satellite only during the time period.

Abstract: A method of determining a precise orbit of a satellite through estimation of a parallactic refraction scale factor is proposed, the method includes inputting an initial estimate including initial orbit information of a satellite with respect to an observation epoch and the parallactic refraction scale factor; performing orbit propagation using a high-precision orbit propagator by applying a dynamics model; performing observer-centered satellite optical observation modeling including the parallactic refraction scale factor; calculating an observation residual between actual optical observation data and observation data calculated via the observation modeling reflecting the parallactic refraction; and precisely determining the orbit of the satellite by estimating the parallactic refraction scale factor and a satellite state vector using a batch least square estimation algorithm.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for orbit raising of multiple spacecraft launched with a single launch vehicle. Two or more spacecraft are configured in a stacked launch configuration in which a lower spacecraft is mechanically coupled with a payload adapter of a launch vehicle with one or more upper spacecraft above the lower spacecraft. Propellant that is stored in the lower spacecraft during launch is transferred to an upper spacecraft in the stack after launch. The propellent may be used by the upper spacecraft for an orbit raising maneuver that raises the orbit of at least the upper spacecraft from a first orbit to a second orbit. Storing the propellant in the lower spacecraft lowers the center of mass of the stack during launch. Lowering the center of mass reduces the structural bending moment of the stack during launch, which allows a greater total launch mass.

Abstract: A voltage measurement apparatus for a spacecraft thruster includes a thruster interface having a platform and at least one spacer element configured to attach the platform to the thruster. At least one probe is mounted to the thruster interface with the probe configured to engage an anode assembly of the thruster when the thruster interface is attached to the thruster. The apparatus also includes voltage metering circuitry coupled to the at least one probe, the voltage metering circuitry configured to be powered by the spacecraft thruster when the spacecraft thruster is powered on.

Abstract: A demosaicing method applied to an image having pixels each corresponding to an initial spectral band, to obtain a demosaiced image with several spectral bands having pixels each corresponding to the initial spectral band or to an interpolated spectral band. The method includes: on the basis of reference patches and for each reference patch: a determination of a set of patches similar to the reference patch, a determination of a covariance matrix for |the set of patches, and for each patch, a calculation of estimates of the interpolated spectral bands according to a block-based deconstruction of the covariance matrix, where the deconstruction into four blocks is according to phasing of each patch, and a determination of the interpolated spectral bands by an aggregation of estimates of the interpolated spectral bands, where the estimates of the interpolated spectral bands are aggregated for each pixel.

Abstract: Scalable power processing units (PPUs) for Hall-effect thrusters (HETs) and terrestrial systems are disclosed. A technique for current estimation may be employed on each output of parallel isolated discharge supply modules (DSMs) to force proper current/load sharing between the DSMs. A flyback power supply may be used that performs the dual functions of a cathode keeper plasma ignitor and sustainer. The flyback power supply may be tuned for a high no-load direct current (DC) output voltage to achieve cathode keeper ignition rather than requiring a separate ignitor supply, which reduces circuit complexity. To address requirements for higher voltage DC ignition than are achievable with a flyback power supply alone, a supplemental DC ignitor may be placed in parallel with the flyback power supply of some embodiments. Such simplified PPU architectures may provide a high efficiency, low part count, scalable architecture suitable for more compact and lower cost system designs.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a receiver included in a communications system includes a channel extractor configured to segregate a received signal into a plurality of channel signals, wherein the plurality of channel signals includes a plurality of data signals; and a plurality of decoders electrically coupled to the channel extractor and configured to decode each of the plurality of channel signals into a respective plurality of decoded data beam portions.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for printing a three-dimensional (3D) object. The system may comprise a source of at least one feedstock, a support for supporting at least a portion of the 3D object, a feeder for directing such feedstock from the source towards the support, and a power supply for supplying electrical current. The system may comprise a controller operatively coupled to the power supply. The controller may receive a computational representation of the 3D object. The controller may direct such feedstock through a feeder towards the support and may direct electrical current through such feedstock and into the support. The controller may subject such feedstock to heating such that at least a portion of such feedstock may deposit adjacent to the support. The controller may direct deposition of additional portions adjacent to the support and may direct an additional feedstock through such feeder and subject to heating.

Abstract: A magnetic pole structure for a Hall thruster is provided. The magnetic pole structure includes: multiple wide-envelope outer magnetic pole components, a magnetic bridge, a pagoda-shaped inner magnetic pole component, a top plate, and a bottom plate, where the multiple wide-envelope outer magnetic pole components are arranged on an outer edge of the Hall thruster, symmetrical about the pagoda-shaped inner magnetic pole component, and enclose a semi-open structure; the magnetic bridge is located between each of the wide-envelope outer magnetic pole components and the pagoda-shaped inner magnetic pole component; the bottom plate is attached to a bottom part of each of the wide-envelope outer magnetic pole components and a bottom part of the pagoda-shaped inner magnetic pole component; and the top plate is attached to an upper part of each of the wide-envelope outer magnetic pole components.

Abstract: A system and method may detect cheating in a computer game, by receiving inputs to a computer game from an entity (which may be a cheater or bot; or a human), comparing the inputs from the entity to data related to inputs to a computer game from human players, and based on the comparing, determining if the entity is a human player or a cheater. The comparing may be based on performance metrics derived from the inputs, and may be by statistical analysis or, comparing a statistical distribution.

Abstract: A method of moving a spacecraft from an initial orbit to a final orbit includes providing a spacecraft with thrusters traveling in an initial orbit that has a first RAAN. Thrusters are activated to move the spacecraft into a transfer orbit having more eccentricity than the initial orbit. A RAAN of the transfer orbit changes over time toward a target RAAN. The spacecraft enters an aerobraking orbit wherein the spacecraft is exposed to increased atmospheric drag to reduce orbit energy and reduce an apoapsis radius. Thrusters may be activated to increase the periapsis radius of the aerobraking orbit and cause the spacecraft to move into the final orbit, the final orbit having a final RAAN different from the first RAAN.