Patents by Inventor Kevin E. Post

Kevin E. Post 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).

  • Fast-low energy transfer to Earth-Moon Lagrange point L2
    Patent number: 9284068
    Abstract: A control system for a hybrid propulsion spacecraft, configured for transfer between low earth parking orbit (LEO) and a Lissajous L2 orbit (L2O), including a first control portion communicably connected to a high thrust (HT) engine portion of the hybrid propulsion spacecraft, a second control portion communicably connected to a low thrust high specific impulse (LT-HI) engine portion of the hybrid propulsion spacecraft, the first and second control portions being configured to control both the HT engine portion and the LT-HI engine portion to provide an optimal LEO to L2O transfer trajectory, wherein the optimal LEO to L2O trajectory includes an optimal LT-HI trajectory portion, selected from a stable manifold trajectory, and an optimal HT trajectory portion, and wherein the LT-HI trajectory portion and HT trajectory portion are configured for providing a combined optimal trajectory along the LEO to L2O transfer trajectory, and are optimized substantially simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kevin E. Post, Edward Belbruno
  • FAST-LOW ENERGY TRANSFER TO EARTH-MOON LAGRANGE POINT L2
    Publication number: 20150284111
    Abstract: A control system for a hybrid propulsion spacecraft, configured for transfer between low earth parking orbit (LEO) and a Lissajous L2 orbit (L2O), including a first control portion communicably connected to a high thrust (HT) engine portion of the hybrid propulsion spacecraft, a second control portion communicably connected to a low thrust high specific impulse (LT-HI) engine portion of the hybrid propulsion spacecraft, the first and second control portions being configured to control both the HT engine portion and the LT-HI engine portion to provide an optimal LEO to L2O transfer trajectory, wherein the optimal LEO to L2O trajectory includes an optimal LT-HI trajectory portion, selected from a stable manifold trajectory, and an optimal HT trajectory portion, and wherein the LT-HI trajectory portion and HT trajectory portion are configured for providing a combined optimal trajectory along the LEO to L2O transfer trajectory, and are optimized substantially simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kevin E. Post, Edward Belbruno