Distributed directed energy system
AssigneeImetalx, Inc.
InventorsNehal Gajjar, Alexander Jacques Fleming
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments comprise a distributed directed energy system. The distributed directed energy system comprises a multi-agent spacecraft group. The multi-agent spacecraft group comprises one or more spacecraft that each comprise a reflector. The multi-agent spacecraft group reflects electromagnetic energy to a shared focal point co-located with a target. The target may comprise a debris object, a material extraction location, a material processing system, an energy generation system, a heating system, a weapon system, an illumination target, another spacecraft, or an asteroid.
Claims20
A distributed directed energy system, the system comprising:
- a multi-agent spacecraft group that comprises two or more spacecraft that each comprise at least one reflector and at least one detection system;
- the multi-agent spacecraft group configured to:
- sense a target;
- generate telemetry data describing a spatial location of the target based on the sensing;
- determine the spatial location of the target based on the telemetry data;
- generate a maneuver command for the multi-agent spacecraft group to position a shared focal point of the multi-agent spacecraft group at the spatial location of the target;
- execute the maneuver command to position the shared focal point of the multi-agent spacecraft group at the spatial location of the target;
- and
- reflect electromagnetic energy to the shared focal point of the multi-agent spacecraft group to irradiate the target.
A method of operating a distributed directed energy system, the method comprising:
- identifying a target;
- sensing the target;
- generating telemetry data describing a spatial location of the target based on the sensing;
- determining the spatial location of the target based on the telemetry data;
- generating a maneuver command for a multi-agent spacecraft group to position a shared focal point of the multi-agent spacecraft group at the spatial location of the target, wherein the multi-agent spacecraft group comprises two or more spacecraft that each comprise at least one reflector;
- executing the maneuver command and maneuvering the multi-agent spacecraft group to position the shared focal point of the multi-agent spacecraft group at the spatial location of the target;
- and
- reflecting electromagnetic energy to the shared focal point of the multi-agent spacecraft group to irradiate the target.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon to operate a distributed directed energy system that comprises a spacecraft that comprises a reflector, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a computing system, direct the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- directing a sensor suite to sense a target;
- generating telemetry data describing a trajectory of the target based on the sensing;
- driving transceiver circuitry to wirelessly transfer a notification indicating the target to a terrestrial system;
- receiving, via the transceiver circuitry, an irradiation command from the terrestrial system;
- in response to the irradiation command, generating a maneuver command to maneuver the spacecraft to co-locate a focal point of the reflector with the target, wherein the spacecraft is a part of a multi-agent spacecraft group comprising two or more spacecraft;
- and
- directing a propulsion system to execute the maneuver command, wherein the reflector reflects electromagnetic energy to irradiate the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.