Back to results
US 11,891,196 B2Granted
Spacecraft systems and methods
AssigneeBall Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
InventorsAdam York, Corey Juarez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for configuring, packaging, and deploying spacecraft are provided. More particularly, spacecraft are configured with statically mounted instruments. An end of the spacecraft to which the instruments are mounted is relatively distant from a spacecraft bus, and has a narrow width relative to the spacecraft bus. During launch multiple overlapping and interleaved spacecraft are disposed radially about a longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle.
Claims20
A spacecraft system, comprising:
- a launch vehicle, the launch vehicle including first and second mounting rings located along a longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle;
- a first spacecraft having first and second ends, wherein the first spacecraft is connected to the first mounting ring, wherein the first end of the first spacecraft is adjacent the second mounting ring, wherein a first plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle is coincident with the first end of the first spacecraft and intersects the second mounting ring, wherein the second end of the first spacecraft is adjacent the first mounting ring, and wherein a second plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle is coincident with the second end of the first spacecraft and intersects the first mounting ring;
- and
- a second spacecraft having first and second ends, wherein the second spacecraft is connected to the second mounting ring, wherein the first end of the second spacecraft is adjacent the first mounting ring, wherein a third plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle is coincident with the first end of the second spacecraft and intersects the first mounting ring, wherein the second end of the second spacecraft is adjacent the second mounting ring, and wherein a fourth plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle is coincident with the second end of the second spacecraft and intersects the second mounting ring.
1 more element
A spacecraft system, comprising:
- a launch vehicle, the launch vehicle including first and second mounting rings located along a longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle;
- a first spacecraft having first and second ends, wherein the first spacecraft is connected to the first mounting ring, wherein the first end of the first spacecraft is adjacent the second mounting ring, wherein a first plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle is coincident with the first end of the first spacecraft and intersects the second mounting ring, and wherein the second end of the first spacecraft is adjacent the first mounting ring;
- and
- a second spacecraft having first and second ends, wherein the second spacecraft is connected to the second mounting ring, wherein the first end of the second spacecraft is adjacent the first mounting ring, wherein a second plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle is coincident with the first end of the second spacecraft and intersects the first mounting ring, wherein the second end of the second spacecraft is adjacent the second mounting ring, and wherein the second mounting ring is directly connected to the first mounting ring.
1 more element
A method for deploying a spacecraft, comprising:
- providing a first spacecraft having a bus portion and a first end portion, wherein the first spacecraft includes a power component in the bus portion and a sensor component in the first end portion, and wherein the bus portion is wider than the first end portion;
- providing a second spacecraft having a bus portion and a first end portion, wherein the second spacecraft includes a power component in the bus portion and a sensor component in the first end portion, and wherein the bus portion is wider than the first end portion;
- mounting the bus portion of the first spacecraft to a first mounting ring of a launch vehicle;
- and
- mounting the bus portion of the second spacecraft to a second mounting ring of the launch vehicle, wherein the first and second mounting rings are stacked on top of one another along a longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle, wherein the first spacecraft has first and second ends, wherein a first plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle is coincident with the first end of the first spacecraft and intersects the second mounting ring, wherein the second spacecraft has first and second ends, and wherein a second plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the launch vehicle is coincident with the first end of the second spacecraft and intersects the first mounting ring.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.