Patents by Inventor Craig E. Peterson

Craig E. Peterson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20260146464
    Abstract: Pneumatically supported towers for low gravity applications are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an inflatable tower for use in vacuum environments can have a membrane configured to support a load when inflated with an inflation gas to a pressures less than 100,000 pascals and greater than 0.01 pascal. The inflation gas can be chosen to have a sufficiently low boiling temperature at the inflation pressure of the membrane that the gas will not condense to a liquid or solid within a defined range of temperatures in which the tower is designed to operate. The membrane can be configured to be packaged for transport in deflated condition and rolled onto cylinders from which the membrane can be later unfurled and inflated as part of the tower inflation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2025
    Publication date: May 28, 2026
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, James G. Small, Philip J. Wahl, Craig E. Peterson
  • Patent number: 12371919
    Abstract: Pneumatically supported towers for low gravity applications are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an inflatable tower for use in vacuum environments can have a membrane configured to support a load when inflated with an inflation gas to a pressures less than 100,000 pascals and greater than 0.01 pascal. The inflation gas can be chosen to have a sufficiently low boiling temperature at the inflation pressure of the membrane that the gas will not condense to a liquid or solid within a defined range of temperatures in which the tower is designed to operate. The membrane can be configured to be packaged for transport in deflated condition and rolled onto cylinders from which the membrane can be later unfurled and inflated as part of the tower inflation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, James G. Small, Philip J. Wahl, Craig E. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20250137112
    Abstract: Systems and methods for deposition-based manufacturing and quantum spin separation in space environments are disclosed herein. A method of manufacturing a film in a space environment includes melting a metal in a melting pot using concentrated solar energy and pushing the melted metal through small openings in the melting pot to produce a liquid stream. The method further includes dispersing the liquid stream into liquid drops of the melted metal and depositing the liquid drops onto a mold surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: James G. Small, Joel C. Sercel, Craig E. Peterson, Philip J. Wahl
  • Publication number: 20250092785
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus are disclosed for mining the permafrost at the landing sites using radiant gas dynamic mining procedures. The systems can comprise a rover vehicle with an integrated large area dome for cryotrapping gases released from the surface and multi-wavelength radiant heating systems to provide adjustable heating as a function of depth. Various antenna arrays and configurations are disclosed, some of which can cooperate for a specific aiming or targeting effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2024
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Philip J. Wahl, Craig E. Peterson, James G. Small
  • Patent number: 12025006
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus are disclosed for mining the permafrost at the landing sites using radiant gas dynamic mining procedures. The systems can comprise a rover vehicle with an integrated large area dome for cryotrapping gases released from the surface and multi-wavelength radiant heating systems to provide adjustable heating as a function of depth. Various antenna arrays and configurations are disclosed, some of which can cooperate for a specific aiming or targeting effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Philip J. Wahl, Craig E. Peterson, James G. Small
  • Publication number: 20240159076
    Abstract: Pneumatically supported towers for low gravity applications are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an inflatable tower for use in vacuum environments can have a membrane configured to support a load when inflated with an inflation gas to a pressures less than 100,000 pascals and greater than 0.01 pascal. The inflation gas can be chosen to have a sufficiently low boiling temperature at the inflation pressure of the membrane that the gas will not condense to a liquid or solid within a defined range of temperatures in which the tower is designed to operate. The membrane can be configured to be packaged for transport in deflated condition and rolled onto cylinders from which the membrane can be later unfurled and inflated as part of the tower inflation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, James G. Small, Philip J. Wahl, Craig E. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20230279776
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus are disclosed for mining the permafrost at the landing sites using radiant gas dynamic mining procedures. The systems can comprise a rover vehicle with an integrated large area dome for cryotrapping gases released from the surface and multi-wavelength radiant heating systems to provide adjustable heating as a function of depth. Various antenna arrays and configurations are disclosed, some of which can cooperate for a specific aiming or targeting effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Philip J. Wahl, Craig E. Peterson, James G. Small
  • Patent number: 11702857
    Abstract: Pneumatically supported towers for low gravity applications are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an inflatable tower for use in vacuum environments can have a membrane configured to support a load when inflated with an inflation gas to a pressures less than 100,000 pascals and greater than 0.01 pascal. The inflation gas can be chosen to have a sufficiently low boiling temperature at the inflation pressure of the membrane that the gas will not condense to a liquid or solid within a defined range of temperatures in which the tower is designed to operate. The membrane can be configured to be packaged for transport in deflated condition and rolled onto cylinders from which the membrane can be later unfurled and inflated as part of the tower inflation process. The membrane can be further configured to progressively inflate beginning at a bottom or lowest level of the membrane during the tower inflation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, James G. Small, Philip J. Wahl, Craig E. Peterson
  • Patent number: 11566521
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus are disclosed for mining the permafrost at the landing sites using radiant gas dynamic mining procedures. The systems can comprise a rover vehicle with an integrated large area dome for cryotrapping gases released from the surface and multi-wavelength radiant heating systems to provide adjustable heating as a function of depth. Various antenna arrays and configurations are disclosed, some of which can cooperate for a specific aiming or targeting effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Philip J. Wahl, Craig E. Peterson, James G. Small