Abstract: A fuselage for an aircraft. The fuselage has a control element with an integrated engine outlet. The control element is integrated at a rear end of the fuselage, so that the control element terminates flush with an outer skin of the fuselage in a circumferential direction of the fuselage. An outer wall of the control element surrounds the engine outlet wherein the engine outlet is directed towards an open rear side of the control element. The control element is connected to the fuselage such that the control element jointly the engine outlet is pivotable about a rotation axis with respect to the fuselage. The rotation axis runs transversely to a longitudinal direction of the fuselage and the control element functions as a tailplane when pivoting about the rotation axis.

Abstract: Systems and methods for highly reproducible and focused plasma jet printing and patterning of materials using appropriate ink containing aerosol through nozzles with narrow orifice and tubes with controlled dielectric constant connected to high voltage power supply, in the presence of electric field and plasma, that enables morphological and/or bulk chemical modification and/or surface chemical modification of the material in the aerosol and/or the substrate prior to printing, during printing and post printing.

Abstract: A terminal (100) for optical communication by laser signals including a matrix image sensor used as a tracking and acquisition detector (2). The matrix image sensor is used simultaneously to check that a portion of the laser signals received by the terminal are injected into an optical fibre (1). A spectral filter element (22) is associated with the matrix image sensor to allow such a combination of functions.

Abstract: A composite component system includes a base component with a first component fiber ply and a second component fiber ply and a repair insert with a first repair fiber ply and a second repair fiber ply. The base component is connected to the repair insert by an adhesive joint. The first component fiber ply has an interface surface connected to the interface surface of the first repair fiber ply by the adhesive joint. The second component fiber ply has an interface surface connected to the interface surface of the second repair fiber ply by the adhesive joint. The first component fiber ply has a fiber orientation corresponding substantially to a fiber orientation of the first repair fiber ply. The interface surface of the first repair fiber ply completely overlaps the interface surface of the first component fiber ply.

Abstract: An optimisation method is presented for the transmission of data along any radio frequency link which can be split into distinct transmission blocks, an example being a beam hopping system. By reordering the packets to be transmitted, it is possible to send packets either at, or nearer to, their optimal modulation and encoding configuration. This will allow for a higher bit to symbol conversion for the majority of packets and hence more data bits can be sent for the same number of symbols.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, media, and devices for generating a satellite program for contacting satellites. In some embodiments, data including one or more targets for accessing a satellite constellation is obtained. Based on the data, a set of representations may be generated and candidate satellite constellation access programs may be determined based on the set of representations. For each program, a first score may be computed for each target to obtain a first set of scores, and a second score may be computed for each first score of the first set of scores to obtain a second set of scores. A satellite constellation access program may be selected from the candidate satellite access programs based on the second set of second scores.

Abstract: Energy conversion systems that may employ control grid electrodes, acceleration grid electrodes, inductive elements, multi-stage anodes, and emissive carbon coatings on the cathode and anode are described. These and other characteristics may allow for advantageous thermal energy to electrical energy conversion.

Abstract: A crawl space winch system including a base plate; a winch box carried by said base plate; a winch mechanism disposed in said winch box and having a cable extending out of an opening in a front side of said winch box for attaching to an item; a winch drive shaft extending through a sidewall of said winch box and being operatively associated with said winch mechanism for retracting said cable; and, a primary anchor opening disposed in a generally central portion of said base plate for receiving a portion of a primary anchor to secure said base plate to the ground, and wherein said primary anchor provides a pivot point around which said base plate rotates.

Abstract: Described herein are apparatuses and methods for use therewith that can be used to remove dust and other types of particulates from a solar array of a spacecraft, a lander, a rover, or the like. Such an apparatus can include a main body and a solar array extending from the main body. One or more piezoelectric devices is/are attached to the solar array. The piezoelectric device(s), when activated, is/are configured to vibrate at least a portion of the solar array to thereby loosen particulates adhered thereto. The apparatus also includes one or more linear actuators that when actuated is/are configured to at least one of bump against, push on, or pull on at least a portion of the solar array to thereby jettison from the solar array at least some of the particulates that were loosened by the one or more piezoelectric devices.

Abstract: Methods and structures are presented for implementing an automatic target recognition system as a convolutional neural network (CNN) in a satellite or other environment with constrained resources, such as limited memory capacity and limited processing capability. For example, this allows for the automatic target recognition to be implemented on a field programmable gate array (hdFPGA). Image data is split into subsets of contiguous pixels, with the subsets processed in parallel in a CNN of a corresponding processing node using quantized weight values that are determined in a training process that accounts for the constraints of the automatic target recognition system. The results of the automatic target recognition process is based on the combined output of the processing nodes.

Abstract: Methods and structures are presented for implementing an automatic target recognition system as a convolutional neural network (CNN) in a satellite or other environment with constrained resources, such as limited memory capacity and limited processing capability. For example, this allows for the automatic target recognition to be implemented on a field programmable gate array (FPGA). Image data is split into subsets of contiguous pixels, with the subsets processed in parallel in a CNN of a corresponding processing node using quantized weight values that are determined in a training process that accounts for the constraints of the automatic target recognition system. The results of the automatic target recognition process is based on the combined output of the processing nodes.

Abstract: A method for forming a dome used in a launch vehicle includes cutting a disk from a plate, the disk having a first disk diameter. The method also includes forming a bend in the disk, the bend applying a curvature to at least a portion of the disk, the disk having a second disk diameter after the forming. The method further includes performing a first heat-treating process to the disk. The method also includes performing a second heat-treating process to the disk. The method further includes machining the disk to remove at least a portion of a thickness of the disk.

Abstract: A spacecraft includes a semi-rigid solar array and a main body structure, the main body structure configured as a convex polyhedron and including an aft and a forward face disposed opposite to the aft face and at least four side faces disposed between and approximately orthogonal to the aft face and the forward face. The solar array includes a number of panels linked together with flexible couplings. In an undeployed configuration, panels of the solar array cover at least two adjacent side faces, the flexible couplings providing an articulable joint approximately aligned with a line along which the two adjacent side faces are joined and connecting a first panel of the solar array and a second panel of the solar array, the first panel being proximal to a first side face and the second panel being proximal to a second side face.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a two-phase separator device for separating condensate or particulate from a gas stream. In some implementations, the separator device removes water from air and may operate under micro-gravity conditions. The gas stream flows through the two-phase separator device and passes through a rotatable vane assembly along a flow path without being redirected in another flow path. Condensate or particulate in the gas stream is impacted by a plurality of vanes of the rotatable vane assembly, and the condensate is captured by features formed within the plurality of vanes. The captured condensate is accelerated radially outwardly along the each of the plurality of vanes towards a sloped inner wall, and further moved along the sloped inner wall in a direction against the flow path of the gas stream during rotation.

Abstract: A localization method for locating a target that is coupled with a locator transponder associated with a permanent identification code permanently assigned to the locator transponder is provided.

Abstract: To facilitate on-orbit servicing, such as for a refueling operation, techniques are presented for a servicing satellite to cut through the multi-layer insulation blanket of a client satellite to provide access to the client satellite without releasing unacceptable quantities of foreign object debris from the multi-layer insulation. The serving satellite includes a sealing tool, such as a pair of heater rollers, that apply pressure and heat to the insulating blanket to melt the inner layers and seal the outer layers together. The servicing satellite can then use a cutting tool to cut the sealed region and access the client satellite.

Abstract: A capacitive feedthrough hermetically sealable to a hybrid module for space applications is provided that includes a multilayer ceramic structure including, on the top face, a metallized top central region designed to receive an input electrical signal to be filtered, a dielectric top region extending around the metallized top central region, and a metallized top peripheral region extending around the dielectric top region up to joining the metallized external closed side walls to act therewith as electrical ground; and, on the bottom face, a metallized bottom central region designed to provide an output filtered electrical signal, a dielectric bottom region extending around the metallized bottom central region, and a metallized bottom peripheral region extending around the dielectric bottom region up to joining the metallized external closed side walls to act therewith as electrical ground.

Abstract: A rover includes a suspension configured to traverse uneven and unpredictable terrain, such as for example on an astronomical body. Each wheel is independently suspended off of the rover chassis with a linkage assembly comprising a pair of canted links which are able to continuously rotate relative to each other without collision or interference. The links allow the rover to independently adjust the height of each wheel relative to the chassis to drive over difficult terrain, and further allow the linkage assembly at each wheel to rotate 360° to effectively step or walk over particularly difficult terrain.

Abstract: Optical unit for a projective optical metrological system, which receives a light signal coming from a light constellation comprising a number of light sources; the optical unit includes: an optoelectronic image acquisition system and a first and a second optical circuit, which receive the light signal and are traversed by a first and a second optical beam, respectively. The first and the second optical circuits direct, respectively, at least a first part of the first optical beam and at least a first part of the second optical beam on the optoelectronic image acquisition system, so as to cause the simultaneous formation of two different images of the constellation in the optoelectronic image acquisition system. The optical unit further includes an electronic processing unit coupled to the optoelectronic image acquisition system, which determines a number of quantities indicative of the position and/or attitude of the light constellation with respect to the optical unit, based on the two images.

Abstract: For model predictive control for a spacecraft formation, a method calculates a virtual point that represents a plurality of spacecraft orbiting in a spacecraft formation. The method calculates an outer polytope boundary and an inner polytope boundary relative to the virtual point for a given spacecraft of the plurality of spacecraft. The method maneuvers the given spacecraft to within the inner polytope boundary using model predictive control (MPC) to minimize fuel consumption.