Spacecraft dual use deployable element
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsJonathan Allison, Derek Doyle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A deployable spacecraft element which has a solar energy collection and conversion means on one side of the deployable element and a radio frequency reflecting means on the other side of the deployable element. While the solar collection and conversion means and the radio frequency reflecting means are nominally oriented in opposite spatial directions and dependent on the orientation of the spacecraft to orient for solar collection or radio frequency transmission, one or more deployable elements may be mounted to a gimbal to allow for simultaneous solar collection and radio frequency collection by the spacecraft.
Claims14
A spacecraft system, comprising:
- a spacecraft operable for moving within an orbit around an object in outer space;
- a perimeter support structure connecting a dual use deployable element to the spacecraft and constructed to deploy the dual use deployable element away from the spacecraft at predetermined location in outer space;
- wherein the dual use deployable element includes:
- a solar-to-electric collection and conversion element, wherein said solar-to-electric collection and conversion element comprises a photovoltaic cell array;
- a radio frequency reflection element;
- and
- a deployable substrate, wherein said deployable substrate comprises polyimide;
- wherein said radio frequency reflection element comprises vapor deposited metal on a backside of said deployable substrate;
- wherein said solar-to-electric collection and conversion element is mounted to a back of the radio frequency reflection element;
- and
- wherein said solar-to-electric collection and conversion element and said radio frequency reflection element are oriented in spatially opposed directions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.