Abstract: Vacuum insulation layers are provided for one or more components of a launch system for a plurality of missiles. The vacuum insulation layers may be integrated into the walls of the components or provided in inserts attached to the components. A medium or high vacuum is pulled on a sealed void space in the walls or the insert. The vacuum insulation layer provides a thermal conductivity (Tcond_vac) of less than one-third of a thermal conductivity of air (Tcond_air). The vacuum insulation layer delays desensitization or inhibits premature reaction of the energetic materials inside the missiles due to high external temperatures. The insulation layers allow for more compact and dense configurations of the launch system and missiles.

Abstract: A system for covert sensing and communications encodes a broadband light source using quantum entanglement-assisted waveform coding to spread a narrow-band signal over frequency. The light source generates broadband light and from that pairs of entangled photons that form a reference and a signal at different wavelengths. The signal is modulated and transmitted to illuminate a target. A phase conjugator mixes the reference with the broadband light to shift the reference to the same wavelength as the signal and performs a phase conjugation to output a phase conjugated reference as a local oscillator. An optical delay time delays the local oscillator to approximately match a time-of flight delay to the target and back.

Abstract: Heavy inert gas insulation layer(s) are provided for containers configured to contain components that include an energetic material. The heavy inert gas insulation layer delays desensitization or inhibits premature reaction of the energetic material due to high external temperatures. The layers may be formed in hollow walls of the container itself or as inserts that are attached to the container. An inert gas fills a sealed void space in the walls or the insert. The inert gas has a density of at least 1.5 Kg/m3 and a thermal conductivity (Tcond_gas) of no greater than two-thirds of a thermal conductivity of air (Tcond_air) to form the heavy inert gas insulation layer. The inert gas may be Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic gas and is suitably held at a pressure of 760 Torr (1 atmosphere) or greater at sea level.

Abstract: Vacuum insulation layers are provided for one or more components of a launch system for a plurality of missiles. The vacuum insulation layers may be integrated into the walls of the components or provided in inserts attached to the components. A medium or high vacuum is pulled on a sealed void space in the walls or the insert. The vacuum insulation layer provides a thermal conductivity (Tcond_vac) of less than one-third of a thermal conductivity of air (Tcond_air). The vacuum insulation layer delays desensitization or inhibits premature reaction of the energetic materials inside the missiles due to high external temperatures. The insulation layers allow for more compact and dense configurations of the launch system and missiles.

Abstract: Heavy inert gas insulation layer(s) are provided for containers configured to contain components that include an energetic material. The heavy inert gas insulation layer delays desensitization or inhibits premature reaction of the energetic material due to high external temperatures. The layers may be formed in hollow walls of the container itself or as inserts that are attached to the container. An inert gas fills a sealed void space in the walls or the insert. The inert gas has a density of at least 1.5 Kg/m3 and a thermal conductivity (Tcond_gas) of no greater than two-thirds of a thermal conductivity of air (Tcond_air) to form the heavy inert gas insulation layer. The inert gas may be Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic gas and is suitably held at a pressure of 760 Torr (1 atmosphere) or greater at sea level.

Abstract: Heavy inert gas insulation layers are provided for one or more components of a launch system for a plurality of missiles. The layer may be integrated into the walls of the components or provided in inserts attached to the components. An inert gas fills a sealed void space in the walls or the insert. The inert gas has a density of at least 1.5 Kg/m3 and a thermal conductivity (Tcond_gas) of no greater than two-thirds of a thermal conductivity of air (Tcond_air) to form the heavy inert gas insulation layer. The inert gas may be Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic gas and is suitably held at a pressure of 760 Torr (1 atmosphere) or greater at sea level. The heavy inert gas insulation layer delays desensitization or inhibits premature reaction of the energetic materials inside the missiles due to high external temperatures. The insulation layers allow for more compact and dense configurations of the launch system and missiles.

Abstract: A heavy inert gas insulation layer is wrapped around the length of a warhead to thermally insulate the warhead from fire or aerodynamic heating. The insulation layer may be integrally formed into the warhead casing or provided as a sleeve that may be permanently or removably positioned about the warhead casing. The insulation layer contains an inert gas such as Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic gas having a density of at least 1.5 kg/m3 and a thermal conductivity Tcond_gas no greater than two-thirds of the thermal conductivity of air Tcond_air.

Abstract: In a system for covert sensing and communications a broadband light source is encoded using spread spectrum waveform coding to spread a narrow-band signal over frequency. The modulated broadband light is suitably hidden in additional noise and then split into two portions, a first portion of which illuminates a target, and a second portion of which is delayed and provided as a local oscillator. Light reflected from the target is combined with the local oscillator, detected using heterodyne, homodyne or quasi-homodyne techniques, demodulated and decoded to estimate the phase of the reflected light relative to the transmitted light to provide fine range estimates for the target. Waveform coding allows for time-correlation of the transmitted and received coded waveforms to provide improved resolution for adjusting the delay of the local oscillator to improve the detection schemes. The waveform coding also provides a covert communications channel.

Abstract: An insulated blast tube includes an insulating layer of a burn resistant material such as phenolic resin formed on an interior surface of the blast tube to provide the necessary erosion and thermal insulation properties to protect the blast tube and a heavy inert gas insulated layer formed in the walls of the blast tube itself to provide the additional thermal insulation properties to protect any non-propulsive sub-systems positioned in the void space around the blast tube. A void space in the walls of the blast tube contains an inert gas such as Argon, Krypton, Xenon or a synthetic inert gas having a density of at least 1.5 kg/m3 and a thermal conductivity Tcond_gas of no greater than two-thirds the thermal conductivity of air Tcond_air to form the heavy inert gas insulation layer.

Abstract: A solid rocket motor uses at least one thermally conductive wire or at least one pair of electrically conductive wires to increase a burn surface area of a propellant grain and thus a thrust of the rocket motor. The rocket motor includes a pulse chamber containing a burnable propellant grain, a propellant inhibited center bore bonded to surfaces of the burnable propellant grain, and at least one conductive wire coupled to the burnable propellant grain and arranged in variable regions along the propellant inhibited center bore. The conductive wire is configured for passive or active activation to ignite the propellant inhibited center bore that subsequently burns in the variable regions. The thermally conductive wire is formed of a refractory metal or refractory alloy material that enables the entire length of the wire to be heated simultaneously or nearly simultaneously when the wire is passively activated.

Abstract: A solid rocket motor uses at least one thermally conductive wire or at least one pair of electrically conductive wires to increase a burn surface area of a propellant grain and thus a thrust of the rocket motor. The rocket motor includes a pulse chamber containing a burnable propellant grain, a propellant inhibited center bore bonded to surfaces of the burnable propellant grain, and at least one conductive wire coupled to the burnable propellant grain and arranged in variable regions along the propellant inhibited center bore. The conductive wire is configured for passive or active activation to ignite the propellant inhibited center bore that subsequently burns in the variable regions. The thermally conductive wire is formed of a refractory metal or refractory alloy material that enables the entire length of the wire to be heated simultaneously or nearly simultaneously when the wire is passively activated.