Abstract: Disclosed is a spacecraft including a casing having a face, a radiator borne by the face, and a thermal insulation device borne by the radiator. The thermal insulation device includes: —a first screen device able to cover a first zone of the radiator, the first screen device including a thermally insulating and flexible sheet, and at least two springs capable of producing a constant reaction force, the springs being preformed in such a way as to wind up on themselves at rest and being fixed to the insulating sheet, the springs each having an end fixed to the radiator and a free end; and—a traction device able to pull on the free end of the springs to make the sheet cover the first zone and to release the free end in order to expose the first zone to space.

Abstract: Disclosed is a spacecraft including a body having a face, a radiator carried by the face, and a thermal insulation device capable of thermally insulating the body from the space environment. The thermal insulation device includes a flexible insulating sheet that is movable between an unfolded position in which the flexible sheet covers a coverable area of the radiator, and a position folded on itself in which the coverable area of the radiator is exposed to the space environment. The flexible sheet includes multiple pleats which extend perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the flexible sheet, the pleats being folded against one another when the flexible sheet is in the folded position, the pleats being spaced apart from one another when the flexible sheet is in an unfolded position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a spacecraft including a casing having a face, a radiator borne by the face, and a thermal insulation device borne by the radiator. The thermal insulation device includes: —a first screen device able to cover a first zone of the radiator, the first screen device including a thermally insulating and flexible sheet, and at least two springs capable of producing a constant reaction force, the springs being preformed in such a way as to wind up on themselves at rest and being fixed to the insulating sheet, the springs each having an end fixed to the radiator and a free end; and —a traction device able to pull on the free end of the springs to make the sheet cover the first zone and to release the free end in order to expose the first zone to space.

Abstract: The blocking system comprises a first interface element adapted to cooperate with a first of two bodies; a second interface element adapted to cooperate with the second of the two bodies; blocking element adapted to cooperate with the interface elements to ensure temporary blocking and comprising a frangible zone; a rupture device consisting of a shape memory alloy adapted to be deformed by elongation through heating to break the frangible zone, by which the second body becomes free to move relative to the first body; and heating element adapted to heat the rupture device beyond the critical temperature to cause the shape memory alloy to be deformed. A redundancy of heating element may be provided, as well as a retraction of at least part of the blocking element in a housing defined by one of the interface elements. The invention is useful for blocking the displacement of a tilting platform with respect to a fixed platform in the field of space applications.

Abstract: A device for locking and unlocking a rotor to a stator, at least parallel to the rotation axis of the rotor, includes an annular rotor flange transverse to the axis, an annular stator bearing surface transverse to the axis and at least partly axially facing the annular flange, and a mobile annular bearing surface transverse to the axis and at least partially axially facing the annular flange on the opposite side of the stator annular bearing surface. The mobile annular bearing surface is formed on a thrust ring coupled radially to a stator portion and able to move axially relative thereto. An annular inflatable airbag in the stator portion axially between a stator back and the thrust ring is provided with pneumatic fluid inlet/outlet arrangements.