Abstract: A concentrated sunlight spacecraft architecture system comprising a sunlight concentrator assembly connectively attached to a spacecraft and configured to gather sunlight over a large area and direct the gathered sunlight to a smaller area, an optical waveguide, an optical distributor, and at least one of a plurality of spacecraft subsystems configured to receive and use the gathered sunlight. In an embodiment of the invention, the plurality of the spacecraft subsystems includes a solar thermal propulsion system, a power storage system, and a resource extraction system.

Abstract: The use of an accelerometer for inertial navigation of a low thrust spacecraft undergoing acceleration wherein the inaccuracy of the accelerometer is less than the uncertainty in the accuracy of a modeled non-gravitational component of the acceleration that the spacecraft is undergoing is disclosed. A method of navigating a spacecraft having a low thrust propulsion system is also disclosed. The method comprises engaging the low thrust propulsion system, measuring the acceleration of the spacecraft using an accelerometer with an inaccuracy less than the uncertainty in the acceleration imparted by the low thrust propulsion system and acquiring a trajectory estimate using the measured acceleration. The trajectory estimate may be updated using an external reference navigation sensor.

Abstract: The use of an accelerometer for inertial navigation of a low thrust spacecraft undergoing acceleration wherein the inaccuracy of the accelerometer is less than the uncertainty in the accuracy of a modeled non-gravitational component of the acceleration that the spacecraft is undergoing is disclosed. A method of navigating a spacecraft having a low thrust propulsion system is also disclosed. The method comprises engaging the low thrust propulsion system, measuring the acceleration of the spacecraft using an accelerometer with an inaccuracy less than the uncertainty in the acceleration imparted by the low thrust propulsion system and acquiring a trajectory estimate using the measured acceleration. The trajectory estimate may be updated using an external reference navigation sensor.