Abstract: This invention relates generally to ionogram image processing, autoscaling and inversion systems and methods for ionospheric monitoring, modeling, and estimation of the same. One advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, e.g., a lightweight, low-power, and fully-autonomous ionospheric monitoring system that is able to provide fully processed and highly accurate ionosphere characterization in near real-time over a low data-rate satellite link.

Abstract: The system can include: a vehicle 100 and a stabilizer 200. However, the system can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The system functions to facilitate vehicular transport (e.g., via a cabin). Additionally, the system can provide impact attenuation and/or mitigate rebound of the vehicle during a water landing. Additionally or alternatively, the system can function to provide aquatic stabilization of the vehicle and/or cabin thereof. However, the system 100 can provide any other suitable functionalities.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for a payload dispensing hinge assembly. The payload dispensing hinge assembly has a first hinge-half and a second hinge-half that are joined by a hinge pin. The first hinge-half may be connected to a payload that is to be dispensed at a target angle. The second hinge-half may be connected to a payload base. The first hinge-half may have a first mounting bracket and a rotatable arm that are shaped to form interlocks that serve to dis-engageably link these two components. A biasing mechanism rotates the rotatable arm and hence the first mounting bracket and payload about a hinge line. The second hinge-half has a hinge stop that stops the rotation of the rotatable arm at a target angle, whereby the first bracket dis-engages from the rotatable arm to dispense the payload at the target angle.

Abstract: An antenna assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a stack patch antenna assembly defining a plurality of antenna cells made from a plurality of patches, wherein the stack patch antenna assembly includes a first patch layer separated from a second patch layer by a spacer; a beamformer lattice including one or more beamformers, wherein each beamformer corresponds to a subset of antenna cells of the plurality of antenna cells; and a PCB assembly made up from a plurality of layers, the PCB assembly having a feed structure from the stack patch antenna assembly to the beamformer lattice disposed in the PCB assembly, wherein the stack patch antenna assembly is external to the PCB assembly.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a user terminal includes a communication module (CM) configured to generate an initial network entry request; an antenna assembly configured to find, in response to the initial network entry request, a satellite based on a search of a sky. The search of the sky includes sequentially changing a beam pointing direction of the antenna assembly. The satellite is assigned to downlink to a geographic cell associated with the user terminal. The user terminal includes a media access control (MAC) layer component configured to generate an uplink radio frame including a random access channel (RACH) request associated with the initial network entry request at a particular portion of the uplink radio frame for the satellite.

Abstract: A pedestrian matching method includes: acquiring a first image and a second image; respectively extracting features of the first image and the second image to obtain a first local feature, a second local feature, a first high-order feature and a second high-order feature, the first local feature and the second local feature including local feature vectors corresponding to key points of a human body respectively; performing feature alignment on the first local feature and the second local feature to obtain a first fused feature and a second fused feature; performing feature alignment on the first high-order feature and the second high-order feature to obtain a first high-order fused feature and a second high-order fused feature; and determining, based on the first fused feature, the second fused feature, the first high-order fused feature and the second high-order fused feature, whether the first image and the second image include a same pedestrian.

Abstract: A method of calculating ionospheric scintillation includes calculating a motion-corrected perturbation of a GNSS radio signal received by a monitoring device deployed in an oceanic environment. The method includes calculating the ?? using the high rate phase of the GNSS signal adjusted by removing the change in distance between the monitoring device and the GNSS satellite. The calculating the ?? may further include passing the adjusted high rate phase through a high pass filter to remove a drift motion of the monitoring device. The method further includes calculating the S4 through calculating a tilt angle between the antenna of the monitoring device with the GNSS satellite and adjusting the antenna gain through known gain pattern of the antenna. The wave height of the oceanic environment may be calculated by detrending the antenna height to remove low frequency motion when a high rate position of the monitoring device is calculated.

Abstract: The provided are a face pose estimation method and apparatus, an electronic device, and a storage medium. The method includes: obtaining a target image containing face information, and inputting the target image into a pre-constructed pose estimation model; performing feature extraction on the target image by using a shallow densely connected layer to obtain a plurality of first feature maps containing shallow feature information; performing an information fusion operation on the plurality of first feature maps by using a deep feature multiplexing layer to obtain a second feature map, such that deep feature information is fused into the shallow feature information; and extracting face pose information in the second feature map by using an attention layer to obtain a third feature map containing the face pose information, performing prediction on the third feature map by using a classifier, and determining a face pose in the target image.

Abstract: Spacecraft Heat Shield A deployable spacecraft atmospheric-entry heat shield (30, 40, 50, 60) is configured in a flasher pattern with a transformable polyhedral-surface. The transformable polyhedral-surface has a plurality of sectors (2, see FIG. 1a), each sector (2) having a plurality of mountain fold lines (4, 5), a plurality of valley fold lines (6, 7), a plurality of facets (8) lying between the fold lines (4, 5, 6, 7) and an outside edge (12). The heat shield (30, 40, 50, 60) is configured to unfold from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration.

Abstract: A test platform apparatus is provided. The apparatus may comprise a lower member, and upper member, and a plurality of side members that may extend between the lower member and the upper member. The apparatus may also include one or more material testers and a sensor system that may be in communication with a flight computer. The sensor system may comprise one or more of a passive remote sensor and an active remote sensor. The apparatus may also include one or more of a camera that may be in communication with the flight computer. The apparatus may also include a plurality of heatsinks.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for dispensing stacked spacecraft. A stack of spacecraft may be joined together in an accordion configuration by dis-engageable links. A dis-engageable link may join two adjacent spacecraft at one edge of the spacecraft. Some of the links are on one side of the stack with other links on an opposite side of the stack to provide the accordion configuration. After the tie-down mechanism releases the stack of spacecraft from a launch adaptor the stack unfolds. Initially, the dis-engageable links continue to hold the spacecraft together in the accordion configuration with the angle between each pair of adjacent spacecraft increasing. After a pair of adjacent spacecraft have unfolded a sufficient amount to prevent collision, the dis-engageable links release one of the spacecraft to thereby dispense the spacecraft.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for a payload dispensing hinge assembly. The payload dispensing hinge assembly has a first hinge-half and a second hinge-half that are joined by a hinge pin. The first hinge-half may be connected to a payload that is to be dispensed at a target angle. The second hinge-half may be connected to a payload base. The first hinge-half may have a first mounting bracket and a rotatable arm that are shaped to form interlocks that serve to dis-engageably link these two components. A biasing mechanism rotates the rotatable arm and hence the first mounting bracket and payload about a hinge line. The second hinge-half has a hinge stop that stops the rotation of the rotatable arm at a target angle, whereby the first bracket dis-engages from the rotatable arm to dispense the payload at the target angle.

Abstract: A printed circuit board for transmitting electrical energy and for signal transmission includes electrical conductor tracks coupled to the printed circuit board wherein the electrical conductor tracks include a first electrical conductor track with a superconducting material. The first electrical conductor track is designed to provide electrical energy directly to a power electronics system. The electrical conductor tracks include a second electrical conductor track which is designed to provide a signal transmission to a signal electronics system. A system is disclosed having such a printed circuit board.

Abstract: An attitude control module is described for providing propellant-free attitude control and momentum desaturation to a spacecraft. The attitude control module includes at least one solar sail comprising a reflective surface for reflecting solar photons; and at least one robotic arm coupled to the at least one solar sail, said at least one robotic arm comprising at least 4 degrees of freedom for positioning and orienting the at least one solar sail relative to the spacecraft. A corresponding method for operating the attitude control module to unload excess momentum from a spacecraft is also described.

Abstract: A lens array antenna system that includes a plurality of lens modules, each consisting of an RF lens and a plurality of feeds forming a linear feed region or feed array. Multiple linear feed regions supporting different frequency bands may be used. The lenses and array of feeds jointly rotate and are slidably connected to allow the location of the linear feed region relative to the focal locus of the lens to be changed by an actuator and controller to allow any two focal points corresponding to desired beam scanning directions to be covered by the linear feed region. In this way, a planar hybrid electromechanical beamforming antenna can form two independent beams in the upper hemisphere with only two mechanical actuators and a single axis of electronic beamforming, reducing production cost compared to existing multibeam antenna solutions.

Abstract: A stacked III-V multi-junction solar cell with a top and a bottom. A metallic top contact area is formed at the top and has a first layer of metal, a flat metallic bottom contact area formed on the bottom. An opening extends continuously from the top to the bottom and has an upper edge area formed at the top and a lower edge area formed at the bottom. The upper edge area is adjacent to the top contact area and the side wall and the two edge areas are covered with a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a top and a bottom. A first metallic top layer is formed on a surface of the first metal layer and on the top of the dielectric layer and a second metallic top layer is formed on a part of the first metal layer adjacent to the upper edge area.

Abstract: A vehicle management system includes a missile avoidance system that generates command for controlling at least one function of a vehicle. The missile avoidance system includes a maneuver control unit and a missile avoidance management unit. The maneuver control unit includes at least two control models. Each of the at least two control models generates the command for controlling the at least one function of the vehicle, and each of the at least two control models can be selectively put in an active state or an inactive state. The missile avoidance management unit selects one of the at least two control models and putts it in the active state. The maneuver control unit outputs the command for controlling the at least one function of the vehicle provided by the control model that is in the active state.

Abstract: An apparatus management system for controlling at least one function of an apparatus, such as a vehicle, operated by an operator and exposed to a potential impact approaching the apparatus, includes: an impact reaction system, configured for generating a command for controlling the at least one function of the apparatus; wherein the impact reaction system includes: an intervention control unit; and an operator notification unit. The intervention control unit includes at least one control model configured for assessing at least one command for controlling the at least one function of the apparatus to perform an intervention to avoid the impact. The operator notification unit is configured to issue at least one notification to the operator regarding the at least one command. The intervention control unit is configured to output the at least one command for controlling the at least one function of the apparatus subsequent to issuance of the notification.