Spacecraft systems airlock for international space station access and interface and methods of operation
AssigneeVoyager Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMichael David Johnson, Mark David Rowley, Michael Desmond Lewis, J. Brockton Howe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments provide a spacecraft airlock system. Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for attaching space exposed payloads to a space station. The spacecraft airlock system provides a defined volume of space payload to the international space station. The airlock further includes a means of attaching to a space station, a closed structure attached to said means, said means of attaching is capable of robotic manipulation, and a cooling system for cooling payload components within said closed structure.
Claims18
A spacecraft airlock, comprising:
- a module defining an interior with an open end, and including:
- a passive common berthing mechanism positioned around the open end, such that the interior is configured to receive pressurized air from an active common berthing mechanism in a berthed configuration with the passive common berthing mechanism;
- an exterior surface having at least one attachment mechanism configured to releasably attach one or more vacuum exposed payloads to the exterior surface;
- and
- an Electrical Power System (EPS) that includes a dual feed power supply configured to interface with a power supply output of the active common berthing mechanism in the berthed configuration, and that is configured to provide one or more of power control, isolation, circuit protection, or regulation to any vacuum exposed payloads releasably attached to the at least one attachment mechanism of the exterior surface.
A method of operating a spacecraft airlock, comprising:
- operating an engagement between (i) a passive common berthing mechanism positioned around an open end of an interior defined by a module of the spacecraft airlock, and (ii) an active common berthing mechanism, wherein:
- the interior is configured to receive pressurized air from the active common berthing mechanism in a berthed configuration with the passive common berthing mechanism;
- and
- the module includes an exterior surface having at least one attachment mechanism configured to releasably attach one or more vacuum exposed payloads to the exterior surface;
- and
- operating an engagement between a duel feed power supply of an Electrical Power System (EPS) of the spacecraft airlock and a power supply output of the active common berthing mechanism, the EPS configured to provide one or more of power control, isolation, circuit protection, or regulation to any vacuum exposed payloads releasably attached to the at least one attachment mechanism of the exterior surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.