Patents by Inventor Joel C. Sercel

Joel C. Sercel 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20250052211
    Abstract: Omnivorous solar thermal thrusters and adjustable cooling structures are disclosed. In one aspect, a solar thermal rocket engine includes a solar thermal thruster configured to receive solar energy and one or more propellants, and heat the one or more propellants using the solar energy to generate thrust. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use a plurality of different propellant types, either singly or in combination simultaneously. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use the one or more propellants in both liquid and gaseous states. Related structures can include valves and variable-geometry cooling channels in thermal contact with a thruster wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2024
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Philip J. Wahl, Conrad T. Jensen, James G. Small, Benjamin G. Workinger, Samuel Daugherty-Saunders
  • Patent number: 12215926
    Abstract: Systems and methods for fabrication of ceramics from celestial materials using microwave sintering and mechanical compression for space mining applications are disclosed. In one aspect, a chamber for sintering loose mineral material into solid ceramic shapes includes a plurality of zirconia insulting plates configured to clamp the mineral material and forming a cavity in which the mineral loose material is contained, and at least one dipole array configured to generate microwave energy and apply the microwave energy to the mineral material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: James G. Small, Joel C. Sercel
  • Patent number: 12203371
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for mining lunar and Martian polar permafrost to extract gas propellants. The method can comprise identifying a plurality of near-polar landing sites in craters in which the surface comprises permafrost in perpetual darkness, wherein such landing sites have perpetual sunlight available at altitudes of about 100 to 200 m. A mining outpost can be established in at least one of the sites and a high altitude solar array deployed at the landing site using a lightweight mast tall enough to generate near continuous power for the outpost. 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Anthony Price Longman, James G. Small
  • Patent number: 12198356
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for the optimized matched filter tracking of space objects are provided. In one aspect, a method of detecting faint objects includes receiving a plurality of telescope images from a telescope imaging system and performing a plurality of computational calculations on the telescope images using a plurality of search parameters to identify one or more objects moving through the telescope images. The number of the computational calculations is reduced by a priori relatively restricting a parameter space of the computational calculations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Hayden Burgoyne, Robert Jedicke, Joel C. Sercel, Juliana Richter, Peter Stephen Gural
  • Patent number: 12173934
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for directing radiant energy to permanently shadowed or occasionally shadowed regions such as on the floors of craters or in valleys in lunar polar regions to provide illumination, thermal power, electricity, communications, and other services. Embodiments of the systems include reflector elements to provide diffuse illumination, focused illumination, and thermal power, structures to support the reflectors and other elements, communications devices for varied signal types, and methods for installing the system. The structure can be compactly folded and delivered to be automatically installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Craig Peterson, Anthony Longman
  • Publication number: 20240328674
    Abstract: A factory for manufacturing useful products while orbiting is space uses concentrated solar energy, high vacuum, and the low temperatures available in a space environment. Gyroscopic forces from rotating machinery are carefully controlled. Liquids, gases, and solid minerals are separated from asteroid and lunar regolith resources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Philip J. Wahl, James G. Small
  • Publication number: 20240300677
    Abstract: Deployable lunar landing pads for space mining applications are disclosed. In one aspect, a landing pad for deployment on a celestial body includes a deployable surface configured to be stored in a stowed configuration on a spacecraft and be deployed into a deployed configuration on a surface of the celestial body, a landing system configured to land the landing pad on the surface of the celestial body, and a control system configured to control the landing system during landing of the landing pad on the surface of the celestial body and control the deployment of the deployable surface. The deployable surface is further configured to reduce or eliminate scattering of loose material from the surface of the celestial body in the deployed configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, James G. Small
  • Patent number: 12025078
    Abstract: Omnivorous solar thermal thrusters and adjustable cooling structures are disclosed. In one aspect, a solar thermal rocket engine includes a solar thermal thruster configured to receive solar energy and one or more propellants, and heat the one or more propellants using the solar energy to generate thrust. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use a plurality of different propellant types, either singly or in combination simultaneously. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use the one or more propellants in both liquid and gaseous states. Related structures can include valves and variable-geometry cooling channels in thermal contact with a thruster wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Philip J. Wahl, Conrad T. Jensen, James G. Small, Benjamin G. Workinger, Samuel Daugherty-Saunders
  • 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: 20240169558
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for the optimized matched filter tracking of space objects are provided. In one aspect, a method of detecting faint objects includes receiving a plurality of telescope images from a telescope imaging system and performing a plurality of computational calculations on the telescope images using a plurality of search parameters to identify one or more objects moving through the telescope images. The number of the computational calculations is reduced by a priori relatively restricting a parameter space of the computational calculations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventors: Hayden Burgoyne, Robert Jedicke, Joel C. Sercel, Juliana Richter, Peter Stephen Gural
  • 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: 20230399946
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for mining lunar and Martian polar permafrost to extract gas propellants. The method can comprise identifying a plurality of near-polar landing sites in craters in which the surface comprises permafrost in perpetual darkness, wherein such landing sites have perpetual sunlight available at altitudes of about 100 to 200 m. A mining outpost can be established in at least one of the sites and a high altitude solar array deployed at the landing site using a lightweight mast tall enough to generate near continuous power for the outpost. 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Anthony Price Longman, James G. Small
  • Publication number: 20230383650
    Abstract: A transportation network for providing propellant in space can include optical mining vehicles that concentrate solar energy to spall captured asteroids, capture released volatiles, and store them in reservoirs as propellants. The network can also have orbital transfer vehicles that use solar thermal rocket modules that focus solar energy on heat exchangers to force propellant through nozzles, as well as separable aeromaneuvering tanker modules with reusable heatshields and storage tanks. The network can have propellant depots positioned between Earth and a transport destination. The depots can mechanically couple to accept propellant delivery and to supply it to visiting space vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventor: Joel C. Sercel
  • Publication number: 20230280098
    Abstract: Systems and methods for fabrication of ceramics from celestial materials using microwave sintering and mechanical compression for space mining applications are disclosed. In one aspect, a chamber for sintering loose mineral material into solid ceramic shapes includes a plurality of zirconia insulting plates configured to clamp the mineral material and forming a cavity in which the mineral loose material is contained, and at least one dipole array configured to generate microwave energy and apply the microwave energy to the mineral material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: James G. Small, Joel C. Sercel
  • 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: 11748897
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for the optimized matched filter tracking of space objects are provided. In one aspect, a method of detecting faint objects includes receiving a plurality of telescope images from a telescope imaging system and performing a plurality of computational calculations on the telescope images using a plurality of search parameters to identify one or more objects moving through the telescope images. The number of the computational calculations is reduced by a priori relatively restricting a parameter space of the computational calculations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Hayden Burgoyne, Robert Jedicke, Joel C. Sercel, Juliana Richter, Peter Stephen Gural
  • Patent number: 11725513
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for mining lunar and Martian polar permafrost to extract gas propellants. The method can comprise identifying a plurality of near-polar landing sites in craters in which the surface comprises permafrost in perpetual darkness, wherein such landing sites have perpetual sunlight available at altitudes of about 100 to 200 m. A mining outpost can be established in at least one of the sites and a high altitude solar array deployed at the landing site using a lightweight mast tall enough to generate near continuous power for the outpost. 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Trans Astronautica Corporation
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, Anthony Price Longman, James G. Small
  • Publication number: 20230249848
    Abstract: Solar collectors can provide power for electricity, thermal propulsion, and material processing (e.g., mining asteroids). In one aspect, a rocket propulsion system is configured to produce thrust for a spacecraft and includes: one or more optical elements configured to receive solar energy. The optical elements include: a first window configured to allow energy to enter the rocket propulsion system and form a concentrated energy beam, and a second window positioned to allow the concentrated energy beam to pass to the heat exchanger. The second window is spaced away from the first window to form a pressurized plenum chamber therebetween. The system further includes: a heat exchanger configured to receive the energy and use it to heat and pressurize a propulsion gas, and a rocket nozzle configured to expel the pressurized propulsion gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Joel C. Sercel, James G. Small, Philip J. Wahl