Gyromesh solar sail spacecraft and sail panel assemblies
AssigneeGeoshade Corporal
InventorTimothy N. Sippel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gyromesh solar sail spacecraft having a gyromesh of solar sail panel assemblies, each with a reflective solar sail. The gyromesh of solar sail panel assemblies distributed around a hub and rim with a cable structure, the cable structure having a plurality of radial cables and plurality of circular cables, the radial cables extending from the hub linearly and the plurality circular cables encircling the hub. The solar sail panels assemblies attached to at least one of the plurality of circular cables, at least a portion of the solar sail panel assemblies attached to the circular cables by a plurality of actuators, respectively, wherein centrifugal force keeps the plurality of radial cables, plurality of circular cables, and solar sail panels extended from the rim.
Claims14
A solar sail spacecraft comprising:
- a hub;
- a cable system, deployed in a plane of the solar sail spacecraft when the solar sail spacecraft is under centrifugal force, comprising:
- a first plurality of cables connected to and extended radially from the hub;
- and
- a second plurality of cables, each connected to the first plurality of cables at a respective, different, radial distance from the hub and extended in a circumferential direction;
- and
- a plurality of solar sail panel assemblies, each comprising a reflective solar sail panel, wherein at least one of the plurality of solar sail panel assemblies is exclusively, rotatably, coupled to the at least one of the second plurality of cables by which a respective reflective solar sail panel of the at least one of the plurality of solar sail panel assemblies is rotatable out of the plane of the solar sail spacecraft.
A method of deploying a solar sail spacecraft (hereinafter “spacecraft”) in orbit, the method comprising:
- deploying a hub;
- deploying a rim coupled to and encircling the hub, the rim having a plurality of spools around which are wound a first plurality of cables connected to the rim;
- coupling a first one of a second plurality of cables encircling the rim to a first position on each of the first plurality of cables;
- coupling a first plurality of solar sail panel assemblies, each having a respective reflective solar sail, to the first one of the second plurality of cables;
- using centrifugal force to unspool and extend the first plurality of cables a first distance in a radial direction from the rim, thereby positioning the first one of the second plurality of cables coupled to each of the first plurality of cables, and the first plurality of solar sail panel assemblies coupled to the first one of the second plurality of cables, the first distance in the radial direction from the rim;
- coupling a second one of the second plurality of cables encircling the rim to a second position on each of the first plurality of cables;
- coupling a second plurality of solar sail panel assemblies, each having a reflective solar sail, to the second one of the second plurality of cables;
- using centrifugal force to further unspool and further extend the first plurality of cables a second distance in the radial direction from the rim, thereby positioning the second one of the second plurality of cables coupled to each of the first plurality of cables, and the second plurality of solar sail panel assemblies coupled to the second one of the second plurality of cables, the second distance in the radial direction from the rim and positioning the first one of the second plurality of cables coupled to each of the first plurality of cables, and the first plurality of solar sail panel assemblies coupled to the first one of the second plurality of cables, a third distance in a radial direction from the rim that is a sum of the first distance and the second distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.