Patents Assigned to Space
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Patent number: 11557665Abstract: A vertical high-blocking III-V bipolar transistor, which includes an emitter, a base and a collector. The emitter has a highly doped emitter semiconductor contact region of a first conductivity type and a first lattice constant. The base has a low-doped base semiconductor region of a second conductivity type and the first lattice constant. The collector has a layered low-doped collector semiconductor region of the first conductivity type with a layer thickness greater than 10 ?m and the first lattice constant. The collector has a layered highly doped collector semiconductor contact region of the first conductivity type. A first metallic connecting contact layer is formed in regions being integrally connected to the emitter. A second metallic connecting contact layer is formed in regions being integrally connected to the base. A third metallic connecting contact region is formed at least in regions being arranged beneath the collector.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2021Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbHInventors: Gregor Keller, Clemens Waechter, Daniel Fuhrmann
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Patent number: 11553686Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2018Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: Space Systems ApSInventors: Jorgen Mikael Berth, Niels Christian Berth
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Patent number: 11554884Abstract: The invention relates to a separation device for a spacecraft or launcher. The separation device includes an inner housing divided into at least two portions locked to each other by a locking device in a locking position. The locking device is arranged to move between a locking position and a releasing position. The separation device includes an initiator including means for providing high pressure fluid to an expansion chamber when the separation device is switched from a locked state to a released state. The high pressure fluid in an expansion chamber moves the locking device from the locking position to the releasing position when the separation device is switched from the locked state to the released state. The separation device comprises a dampening arrangement arranged to attenuate a peak load when the separation device is switched from the locked state to the released state.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2017Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: RUAG SPACE ABInventors: Jörgen Remmelg, Michael Thuswaldner, Magnus Thenander
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Patent number: 11552406Abstract: A deployable membrane structure for an antenna comprises a membrane comprising a plurality of first regions of higher-stiffness material integrally connected via one or more second regions of lower-stiffness material, wherein the one or more second regions are formed from compliant material configured to permit the membrane to be folded into a collapsed configuration and subsequently unfolded into a deployed configuration, and are arranged so as to allow adjacent ones of the plurality of first regions to be folded so as to lie against one another. In some embodiments the membrane is formed of a composite material comprising a plurality of fibres in a compliant matrix, and the plurality of first regions comprise material with a higher fibre density than the one or more second regions. A deployable antenna comprising the deployable membrane structure is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2019Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Oxford Space Systems LimitedInventors: Juan Reveles, Matthew Rowe, Alex Brinkmeyer, Deborah Fellows
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Patent number: 11548606Abstract: A balloon system including a balloon, a payload, and a safety module. A safety module, preferably including a tether and a parachute, and optionally including a cover and/or a drogue. A method of balloon system operation, preferably including operating the balloon system in flight and descending under a parachute.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2021Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Space Perspective Inc.Inventor: Taber MacCallum
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Publication number: 20230003907Abstract: A navigation processing system includes at least one processor configured to execute operational instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform operations that include generating navigation data. A data stream is generated based on the navigation data and a data channel spreading sequence. A pilot stream is generated based on a pilot channel spreading sequence. A navigation signal is generated based on applying a bandwidth-efficient modulation scheme to the data stream and the pilot stream. The navigation is signal is broadcast via a navigation signal transmitter for receipt by at least one client device.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2021Publication date: January 5, 2023Applicant: Xona Space Systems Inc.Inventors: Robert Martin Grayson, Andrew Michael Neish, Joshua Earl McGhee
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Publication number: 20230005218Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2022Publication date: January 5, 2023Applicant: Ursa Space Systems Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey Scott Pennings, Justyna Weronika Kosianka, Daniela Irina Moody
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Patent number: 11546179Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a source device including a first current limiter and a second current limiter in parallel with each other and a first transformer and a second transformer; a load device includes a third transformer and a fourth transformer in parallel with each other; and an Ethernet cable is electrically coupled between the source device and the load device, the Ethernet cable including first twisted pair lines and second twisted pair lines. A direct current (DC) voltage is provided to the first current limiter and the second current limiter, the first transformer is electrically coupled to an output of the first current limiter, and the second transformer is electrically coupled to an output of the second current limiter. The DC voltage is transmitted to the third transformer and the fourth transformer in parallel with each other via the first twisted pair lines and the second twisted pair lines.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2021Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Joshua S. Salazar, Anno Van den Akker, Robert Ruark, Yong Ren, Bhaskar S. Vadathavoor, Krisztian Bakos
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Patent number: 11543831Abstract: A rover or semi-autonomous or autonomous vehicle may use an image classifier to determine a terrain class of regions of an image of the terrain ahead of the rover or vehicle. The regions of the images are used to estimate the slope of the terrain for the different regions. The terrain class and slope are used to predict an amount of slip the rover will experience when traversing the terrain of the different regions. A heuristic mapping for the terrain class may be applied to the predicted slip amount to determine a hazard level for the rover or vehicle traversing the terrain.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2020Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Mission Control Space Services Inc.Inventors: Ewan Reid, Michele Faragalli
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Publication number: 20220411111Abstract: Described herein is a method of constructing a landing pad using a rocket engine while in-flight. Among other benefits, this method can reduce ejecta that otherwise would occur during landing on an unimproved surface. While a spacecraft is hovering over an unimproved surface, the spacecraft can inject particles into its rocket engine, after which the particles absorb heat from the engine and are projected at ballistic speeds toward the unimproved surface to create a landing pad. After constructing the landing pad and waiting for the landing pad to cool, the spacecraft can land on the landing pad. Also described herein are landing pads created from such particles as they impact the surface in a disc splat mode into the unimproved surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2022Publication date: December 29, 2022Applicant: Masten Space Systems, Inc.Inventor: Matthew Kuhns
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Publication number: 20220416434Abstract: A computer assisted method for manufacturing a foldable paraboloid antenna includes election of a two-dimensional radial Origami pattern with triangular cells and election of a paraboloid surface. The Origami pattern is projected from the paraboloid surface focus onto the paraboloid surface to print the Origami pattern on the paraboloid surface, obtaining triangles with curved sides. A pattern with triangles with straight sides on the paraboloid surface is obtained by joining vertices of the projected curved-sided triangles. The method includes scaling and calculating centroids of the triangles, to reduce each triangle referenced on the corresponding centroid and to determine spacing, obtaining a mesh with segments and triangular cells delimited by the segments. The triangular cells have triangles of reflective rigid material. The mesh is flexible, so each segment width is at least the sum of the thicknesses of two adjacent rigid triangles, and periphery cells have a rounded outer edge.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2019Publication date: December 29, 2022Applicant: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE S.A.Inventors: Alfonso PARRA RUBIO, Álvaro JARA RODELGO, Carlos Enrique MONTESANO BENITO
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Patent number: 11540301Abstract: A method of operating an uplink scheduler as part of a medium access control scheduler on a satellite includes selecting, from a plurality of user terminals, a first number of zero-bandwidth request user terminals from the plurality of user terminals, selecting, from the plurality of user terminals, a second number of non-zero-bandwidth request user terminals from the plurality of user terminals, binning the second number of non-zero-bandwidth request user terminals into a plurality of bins based on a respective bandwidth requirement for each non-zero-bandwidth request user terminal and based on a minimum user terminal grant and allocating, according to a grant allocation algorithm, a respective grant of radio resources in an uplink frame to each user terminal of the plurality of user terminals into a respective bin of the plurality of bins in an order associated with increasing bandwidth needs. A downlink scheduler is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2021Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.Inventors: Jayasuryan V. Iyer, Khasim Shaheed Shaik Mahammad, Yashodhan Dandekar, Ramakrishna Akella, Chen Chen, Phillip E. Barber, Peter J. Worters
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Patent number: 11539425Abstract: A satellite communication system includes a first satellite in a geostationary orbit and a plurality of second satellites. Each of the second satellites is in a separate orbit with time-dependent projection on ground. The first satellite is adapted to communicate with one or more user terminals and to communicate with each of the plurality of second satellites via a respective inter-satellite communication link. Further, each of the second satellites is adapted to communicate with one or more feeder link stations. Also disclosed is a method of communicating in a satellite communication system.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2018Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: European Space AgencyInventors: Jerome Tronc, Nicolas Girault, Ana Bolea Alamanac, Xavier Geneste, Michael Hadjitheodosiou
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Patent number: 11535402Abstract: A system for monitoring the degradation status of refueling hoses on air includes a device with at least one sensor adapted to produce data about the external surface of the refueling hose. The method for monitoring the degradation status of refueling hoses on air includes moving a device with at least one sensor along a refueling hose or moving a refueling hose with respect to the device, producing data about the external surface of the refueling hose from the at least one sensor, and analyzing the data for monitoring the degradation status of the refueling hose. It allows providing a system and method for monitoring the degradation status of refueling hoses on air that reduces the risk of personal injury associated to hose damage inspection and is cost saving.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2020Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space, S.A.U.Inventors: Gonzalo Martin Gomez, Hector Sanchez Paredero, Francisco José Lagares Carrasco, Samuel De La Fuente Lopez
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Publication number: 20220402631Abstract: An on-orbit servicing spacecraft includes an engagement system to engage a space vehicle or object to be serviced or tugged, so as to form a space system, and an electronic reaction control system to cause the spacecraft to rotate about roll, yaw, and pitch axes to control attitude and displacement along given trajectories to cause the spacecraft to carry out given maneuvers.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2020Publication date: December 22, 2022Applicant: Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A. Con Unico SocioInventors: Giorgio Fasano, Enrico Gaia, Stefano Ferroni, Mario Pessana
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Patent number: 11532296Abstract: Broadband acoustic absorbers may be capable providing good absorption performance between 0 and 3,000 Hz, and particularly below 1,000 Hz. Reeds may be incorporated in a single layer, multiple layers, or bundles. Such broadband acoustic absorbers may be applied for acoustic absorption in aircraft, spacecraft, residential and commercial buildings, vehicles, industrial environments, wind tunnels, or any other suitable environment or application where noise reduction is desired.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2019Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: Lisa Danielle Koch, Michael G. Jones, Peter J. Bonacuse, Christopher J. Miller, James Christopher Johnston, Maria A. Kuczmarski
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Patent number: 11530484Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2021Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: UNIVERSITIES SPACE RESEARCH ASSOCIATIONInventors: Ramprasad Gandhiraman, Meyya Meyyappan, Jessica E. Koehne
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Patent number: 11527668Abstract: A stacked monolithic multi-junction solar cell having at least four subcells, wherein the band gap increases starting from the first subcell in the direction of the fourth subcell, each subcell has an n-doped emitter and a p-doped base, the emitter and the base of the first subcell each are formed of germanium, all following subcells each have at least one element of main group III and V of the periodic table, all subcells following the first subcell are formed lattice-matched to one another, a semiconductor mirror having a plurality of doped semiconductor layers with alternately different refractive indices is placed between the first and second subcell, the semiconductor layers of the semiconductor mirror are each formed n-doped and each have a dopant concentration of at most 5·1018 cm?3, the semiconductor mirror is placed between the first subcell and the first tunnel diode.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2021Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbHInventors: Alexander Berg, Matthias Meusel
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Patent number: 11526396Abstract: The invention relates to an interconnection network for forward error correction encoders and decoders, including N input terminals, N output terminals, and M stages. Each stage includes switching elements having input pins and output pins. The input pins of the switching elements of the first stage are connected to the input terminals, and the output pins of the switching elements of the last stage are connected to the output terminals. The input and output pins of the switching elements of immediately successive stages are connected in a hardwired fashion so as to form a plurality of interconnection sub-networks for routing respective input values from respective output pins of the switching elements of the first stage to respective input pins of the switching elements of the last stage.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2018Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A. Con Unico SocioInventors: Domenico Giancristofaro, Massimo Fonte
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Patent number: 11524459Abstract: A spacecraft includes an additive manufacturing (A/M) subsystem and one or both of a thermal control arrangement and a contamination control arrangement. The A/M subsystem includes an A/M tool, feedstock and a workpiece and is configured to additively manufacture the workpiece using material from the feedstock. The thermal control arrangement is operable, in an on-orbit space environment characterized by near vacuum pressure and near zero-g force, to maintain temperature of at least one of the A/M tool, the feedstock, and the workpiece within respective specified ranges. The contamination control arrangement is operable, in the on-orbit space environment, to control outgassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2021Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Space Systems/Loral, LLCInventors: John Scott Higham, Gordon Wu, Daniel Andrew Fluitt, Elijah Zebadiah Gurnee, Jude Zils