Spacecraft panel architecture
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Systems Corporation
InventorsTalbot Jaeger, Lisa Hill, Christopher Hagen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment of the invention includes a spacecraft system. The system includes a spacecraft payload system coupled to a spacecraft frame. The system also includes a plurality of spacecraft panels disposed about the spacecraft frame. Each of the plurality of spacecraft panels can be communicatively coupled together via a network and configured substantially identically with respect to each other, and can include a processor and associated spacecraft control components. The processors of each of the spacecraft panels controlling the respective spacecraft control components independently to cooperatively and autonomously implement spacecraft control functions to implement a common mission objective.
Claims20
A spacecraft system comprising:
- a spacecraft payload system coupled to a spacecraft frame;
- and
- a plurality of spacecraft panels disposed about the spacecraft frame, each of the plurality of spacecraft panels being communicatively coupled together via a network and configured substantially identically with respect to each other and comprising a processor and associated spacecraft control components, the processors of each of the spacecraft panels controlling the respective spacecraft control components independently to cooperatively and autonomously implement spacecraft control functions to implement a common mission objective.
A spacecraft panel configured to implement control functions associated with a spacecraft cooperatively with other spacecraft panels, the spacecraft panel comprising:
- power control components comprising at least one solar panel configured to convert solar energy into power;
- propulsion control components comprising a thruster fuel reservoir and at least one thruster configured to provide propulsion for the associated spacecraft;
- and
- connection hardware configured to couple the spacecraft panel to the other spacecraft panels to implement resource sharing of the power and thruster fuel with the other spacecraft panels of the spacecraft.
A method for controlling a spacecraft, the method comprising:
- ascertaining a mission objective associated with control of the spacecraft at each of a plurality of spacecraft panels disposed about a frame of the spacecraft via a set of sensors, each of the plurality of spacecraft panels comprising respective independent spacecraft control components;
- generating an autonomous solution to the mission objective via a processor associated with each of the plurality of spacecraft panels at each of the spacecraft panels that determine to have at least a contribution to the mission objective, the autonomous solution to the mission objective being independent with respect to each of the plurality of spacecraft panels;
- and
- implementing each of the autonomous solutions to the mission objective via each contributing one of the plurality of spacecraft panels to cooperatively complete the mission objective.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.