Abstract: A vehicle propulsion system includes an air heating chamber that receives inlet air from an air intake chamber and provides thrust through an exhaust chamber. A battery powered pulse generator generates a pulsed electrical output signal. An amplifier amplifies the pulsed electrical output signal to provide an amplified pulsed power output signal to the air heating chamber. The amplified pulsed power output signal directly heats the inlet air to generate thrust through the exhaust chamber.

Abstract: A vehicle propulsion system includes an air heating chamber that receives inlet air from an air intake chamber and provides thrust through an exhaust chamber. A battery powered pulse generator generates a pulsed electrical output signal. An amplifier amplifies the pulsed electrical output signal to provide an amplified pulsed power output signal to the air heating chamber. The amplified pulsed power output signal directly heats the inlet air to generate thrust through the exhaust chamber.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a spacecraft. The spacecraft comprises at least one solar array panel comprising an array of solar cell sections. Each of the solar cell sections can be configured to generate electrical power from received solar radiation. The spacecraft also comprises a solar array selection controller configured to selectively deactivate a portion of the array of solar cell sections to generate a torque on the spacecraft based on a difference in at least one of solar and thermal radiation pressure between an activated portion of the array of solar cell sections and the deactivated portion of the array of solar cell sections.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a spacecraft. The spacecraft comprises at least one solar array panel comprising an array of solar cell sections. Each of the solar cell sections can be configured to generate electrical power from received solar radiation. The spacecraft also comprises a solar array selection controller configured to selectively deactivate a portion of the array of solar cell sections to generate a torque on the spacecraft based on a difference in at least one of solar and thermal radiation pressure between an activated portion of the array of solar cell sections and the deactivated portion of the array of solar cell sections.

Abstract: A spacecraft attitude controller balances external torques, including those resulting from gravity gradient and those resulting from other orbital disturbances, to achieve a comparatively stable, neutral attitude or orientation. Torque is balanced by selecting spacecraft attitude Euler angles and angular rates such that orbital disturbances and cross-coupling inertial effects are cancelled by the external forces, based on Euler's equation. A spacecraft attitude torque-balancing controller and related method compares spacecraft attitude angles and angular rates with an orbit reference frame, and provides instructions to conventional momentum management and propulsion controls to responsively adjust the spacecraft attitude and angular rates. This feedback loop drives to zero (or an acceptably small quantity) the rate of change of the difference between spacecraft and reference attitude and angular rates, thus minimizing the net accelerations on the vehicle.