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US 10,850,872 B2Granted
Spacecraft systems airlock for international space station access and interface and methods of operation
AssigneeNanoRocks, LLC
InventorsMichael David Johnson, Mark David Rowley, Michael Desmond Lewis, J. Brockton Howe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments provide a spacecraft airlock system. Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for attaching space exposed payloads to a space station. The spacecraft airlock system provides a defined volume of space payload to the international space station. The airlock further includes a means of attaching to a space station, a closed structure attached to said means, said means of attaching is capable of robotic manipulation, and a cooling system for cooling payload components within said closed structure.
Claims14
A spacecraft airlock, comprising:
- an end module comprising avionics components and circuitry stowage and a passive common berthing mechanism positioned around an open end of the end module for selectively engaging the airlock with a space station or with a transportation vehicle for transporting said airlock proximate to the space station;
- a cylindrical sidewall adjoining said passive common berthing mechanism of the end module;
- an endwall adjoining the cylindrical sidewall, opposite the passive common berthing mechanism of the open end of the end module;
- at least one attachment mechanism positioned on the cylindrical sidewall or the endwall, and configured for releasably attaching vacuum exposed payloads to an exterior surface of the airlock;
- at least one connection mechanism positioned on the cylindrical sidewall or the endwall, and configured for releasably attaching at least one heat sink to an exterior surface of the airlock;
- and
- at least one grappling fixture positioned on the cylindrical sidewall or the endwall, and configured for engaging a robotic grappling arm of the space station for robotic manipulation of the end module, wherein said at least one grappling fixture of the airlock is configured to engage with said robotic grappling arm for disengaging said end module from said transportation vehicle in preparation for controllably positioning said end module on said space station, wherein said passive common berthing mechanism of the end module engages said airlock with said space station at an active common berthing mechanism of the space station for receiving pressurized air from inside said space station.
4 more elements
A method for attaching a single hatch airlock to a spacecraft, comprising the steps of:
- engaging an end module comprising avionics components and circuitry stowage and a passive common berthing mechanism positioned around an open end of the end module to a space station, said end module comprising a cylindrical sidewall adjoining said passive common berthing mechanism and an endwall adjoining the cylindrical sidewall, opposite the passive common berthing mechanism of the open end of the end module;
- attaching vacuum exposed payloads to an exterior surface of the airlock using at least one attachment mechanism, wherein the at least one attachment mechanism is positioned on the said cylindrical sidewall or said endwall;
- attaching at least one heat sink to an exterior surface of the airlock using at least one connection mechanism, wherein the at least one connection mechanism is positioned on the said cylindrical sidewall or said endwall;
- engaging a robotic grappling arm to at least one grappling fixture positioned on the cylindrical sidewall or the endwall for robotic manipulation of said end module;
- engaging said airlock with a transportation vehicle for transporting said airlock proximate to the space station;
- and
- engaging said at least one grappling fixture of the airlock with said robotic grappling arm of the space station for disengaging said end module from said transportation vehicle in preparation for controllably positioning said end module on said space station, wherein said passive common berthing mechanism of the end module engages said airlock with said space station at an active common berthing mechanism of the space station for receiving pressurized air from inside said space station.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.