Abstract: An apparatus, system and device are provided for dispensing a granular food product into a receptacle for consumption. The apparatus includes: a hopper containing said granular food product, said hopper having an outlet proximate a bottom end thereof; a dispensing rotor mounted in said hopper, said rotor rotatable to push said granular food product through said outlet; a control subsystem operable to receive a signal indicative of a desired quantity of said granular food product and to dispense the desired quantity of said food product through said outlet by rotating said rotor by a specific amount; and a chute positioned below said outlet to direct dispensed food product into said receptacle.

Abstract: A system including a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit and a plurality of ground stations to enable continuous communication for other geocentric, non-geosynchronous spacecraft. Network latency, Doppler effects, and router handover time are minimized through selection of orbital parameters for the satellite constellation and locations of ground stations. A plurality of polar or near polar orbit planes is presented at equally spaced right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN), in an alternative ascending-descending pattern. Inter-satellite communication is performed in-plane to relay data to a ground station, and out-of-plane or in-plane to communicate with another satellite that is not a member of the constellation. The number and location of ground stations is selected based on the number of small satellites and orbital planes in order to maintain continuous communications.