# US 11,993,404 B2 · Satellites having autonomously deployable solar arrays > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,404 B2 - Document ID: US11993404B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/065,276 - Filed: 2022-12-13 - Published: 2023-04-13 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-18 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Gary E. Lemke; Chris J. Wasson; John P. Mills; Cecilia G. Cantu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993404B2 ## CPC - B64G 1/443: {Photovoltaic cell arrays} - G01C 21/24: specially adapted for cosmonautical navigation - B64G 1/2222: {Folding} - B64G 1/244: {Spacecraft control systems} - B64G 1/361: {using star sensors} - B64G 1/44: using radiation, e.g. deployable solar arrays - G01C 21/025: {with the use of startrackers} - G06F 9/30003: {Arrangements for executing specific machine instructions} - H02S 20/30: Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment - H02S 30/20: Collapsible or foldable PV modules - H02S 50/00: Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification - B64G 1/002: {Launch systems} - B64G 1/242: {Orbits and trajectories} - B64G 1/369: {using gyroscopes as attitude sensors} - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Satellites having autonomously deployable solar arrays are disclosed. A disclosed example satellite includes a solar array, a sensor to detect that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle, a processor to, based on the satellite exiting the launch vehicle, enable release of magnets or locks of an array, a release controller to control the release of the magnets or the locks of the array based on a release sequence to autonomously deploy the solar array, and a sequence analyzer to adapt the release sequence during execution of the release sequence, wherein adapting the release sequence includes changing an order in which the magnets or the locks of the array are released based on a degree to which the solar array is unfolded. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A satellite comprising: a solar array; a sensor to detect that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle; a processor to, based on the satellite exiting the launch vehicle, cause release of magnets or locks of an array; a release controller to control the release of the magnets or the locks of the array based on a release sequence to autonomously deploy the solar array; and a sequence analyzer to adapt the release sequence during execution of the release sequence, wherein adapting the release sequence includes changing an order in which the magnets or the locks of the array are released based on a degree to which the solar array is unfolded. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The satellite as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and further including a second sensor to detect a folding condition of the solar array, the sequence analyzer to adapt the release sequence based on the folding condition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The satellite as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and further including a second sensor to detect relative positions of landmarks external to the satellite to determine an orientation of the satellite. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The satellite as defined in claim 1, wherein the sequence analyzer is to change the order in which the magnets or the locks of the array in the release sequence are released by changing a first magnet from releasing after a second magnet to releasing the first magnet before the second magnet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The satellite as defined in claim 4, wherein the sequence analyzer is to change the order in which ones of the magnets in the release sequence are released by further removing a third magnet from the release sequence. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The satellite as defined in claim 1, further including a satellite maneuver controller to move the solar array to an orientation in which momentum accumulation is reduced. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The satellite of claim 6, wherein the satellite maneuver controller is to control a first attitude and a first spin about a first axis that defines a position of the satellite to maintain a thermal condition. ### Claim 8 A method of autonomously deploying a solar array of a satellite, the method comprising: determining, via a sensor, that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle; upon determining that the satellite has exited the launch vehicle, releasing magnets or locks of an array based on a release sequence to autonomously deploy the solar array; and adapting, via instructions executed by a processor, the release sequence of the magnets or locks of the array during execution of the release sequence, wherein the adapting of the release sequence includes changing an order in which the magnets or the locks of the array are released based on a degree to which the solar array is unfolded. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and further including detecting, via a second sensor, a folding condition of the solar array and adapting the release sequence based on the folding condition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and further including detecting, via a second sensor, relative positions of landmarks external to the satellite to determine an orientation of the satellite. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method as defined in claim 8, wherein adapting the release sequence includes changing a first magnet from releasing after a second magnet to releasing the first magnet before the second magnet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as defined in claim 11, wherein adapting the release sequence includes removing a third magnet from the release sequence. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method as defined in claim 8, further including moving the solar array to an orientation in which momentum accumulation is reduced. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method as defined in claim 8, further including controlling a first attitude and a first spin about a first axis which defines a position of the satellite to maintains a thermal condition. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause a processor of a satellite to at least: determine that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle based on sensor data; upon determination that the satellite has exited the launch vehicle, cause release of magnets or locks of an array based on a release sequence; and adapt the release sequence of the magnets or the locks of the array during execution of the release sequence to autonomously deploy a solar array of the satellite, wherein the release sequence is adapted by changing an order in which the magnets or the locks of the array are released based on a degree to which the solar array is unfolded. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to determine a folding condition of the solar array and adapting the release sequence based on the folding condition. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to determine relative positions of landmarks external to the satellite to determine an orientation of the satellite. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to adapt the release sequence by changing a first magnet from releasing after a second magnet to releasing the first magnet before the second magnet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to cause an adjustment of an orientation of the satellite to an orientation in which momentum accumulation is reduced. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processor to control a first attitude and a first spin about a first axis which defines a position of the satellite to maintain a thermal condition. ### Claim 21 A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause a processor of a satellite to at least: determine that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle based on sensor data; upon determination that the satellite has exited the launch vehicle, cause utilization of squibs, magnets or locks of an array based on a sequence; cause an adjustment of an orientation of the satellite to an orientation in which momentum accumulation is reduced; and adapt the sequence of the squibs, the magnets or the locks of the array during execution thereof to autonomously deploy a solar array of the satellite, wherein the sequence is adapted by changing an order in which the squibs, the magnets or the locks of the array are utilized based on a degree to which the solar array is unfolded. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 21, wherein the instructions cause the processor to control a first attitude and a first spin about a first axis which defines a position of the satellite to maintain a thermal condition.