Patents by Inventor Herbert S. Fong

Herbert S. Fong 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).

  • Patent number: 5067673
    Abstract: An essentially passive and "fuel-less" method for inverting the orientation of a preferably nutationally stable, dual spin spacecraft disposed in an inclined orbit, includes the steps of increasing the rotational speed of (i.e., "spinning up") the spacecraft's despun platform and decreasing the rotational speed of (i.e., "spinning down") the spacecraft's rotor, to thereby generate, via product of inertia coupling, a transverse torque of sufficient magnitude to temporarily destabilize the spacecraft and cause the spacecraft spin axis, which is the minimum moment of inertia axis of the spacecraft, to diverge and precess through a flat spin orientation and towards a final, inverted orientation, e.g., disposed at a precession angle of 180.degree. relative to the initial orientation of the spacecraft spin axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Herbert S. Fong