Propulsion system for space vehicles
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorMichael Holmes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric propulsion module coupled to a spacecraft capable of providing thrust at a level required for multi-burn orbit transfer is disclosed herein. The electric propulsion system includes an electric propulsion thruster, a propellant tank and an energy storage device. In one form the energy storage device is a battery operable to provide sufficient power to maneuver the spacecraft quickly to avoid space debris and/or move to a different orbit through a multi-burn thrust procedure.
Claims21
A spacecraft system comprising:
- a spacecraft configured to take off from earth and move in outer space;
- a primary electric propulsion module including:
- a primary battery connected to the spacecraft;
- a primary photovoltaic array (PV Array) operably coupled to the primary battery;
- and
- a primary electric propulsion system operably coupled to the primary PV Array;
- and
- an auxiliary propulsion module coupled to the spacecraft;
- wherein the auxiliary propulsion module includes:
- an energy storage device;
- a propellant tank;
- and
- an auxiliary electric propulsion system with a thruster having a thrust rating higher than the primary electric propulsion system, the auxiliary electric propulsion system configured to maneuver the spacecraft into another orbit via a Hohmann multi-burn transfer.
A space propulsion system for a spacecraft comprising:
- a primary electric propulsion system with a primary thruster;
- and
- an auxiliary electric propulsion system including:
- an auxiliary energy storage device;
- an auxiliary energy collecting device;
- an auxiliary propellant tank;
- an auxiliary electric propulsion thruster having a thrust rating higher than the primary electric propulsion thruster, the auxiliary electric propulsion thruster being capable of maneuvering the spacecraft into another orbit via multi-burn transfer;
- and
- a coupling mechanism configured to releasably connect the auxiliary space propulsion system to the spacecraft.
A method comprising:
- moving a spacecraft from earth to an orbit in outer space;
- moving the spacecraft in outer space with a primary electric propulsion system coupled to the spacecraft;
- maneuvering the spacecraft from the orbit to avoid space debris or to another orbit via Hohmann transfer with an auxiliary electric propulsion system releasably connected to the spacecraft, the auxiliary electric propulsion system having a higher power output than the primary electric propulsion system;
- and
- wherein the maneuvering includes storing electrical energy in an auxiliary power source and providing at least five (5) times the power of a power output of an energy collection device electrically connected to an auxiliary electric propulsion thruster.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.