Systems for interconnecting dual manifested spacecraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494123-B2
Application number	US-201715678999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 7, 2012
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for interconnecting dual manifested spacecraft for launch by a launch vehicle are disclosed. Different motive forces are utilized to couple a first spacecraft to a second spacecraft and to restrict demating of the second spacecraft from the first spacecraft. Some systems and methods utilize pneumatic pressure to permit mating of a first spacecraft to a second spacecraft and utilize spring force to restrict demating of the second spacecraft from the first spacecraft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for interconnecting a first spacecraft and a second spacecraft for launch by a launch vehicle, the system comprising:
coupling means for selectively and securely coupling the first spacecraft to the second spacecraft;
a volume of pressurized fluid for reconfiguring the coupling means from a coupled configuration to an uncoupled configuration to permit mating of the second spacecraft to the first spacecraft; and
demating means, separate from the coupling means and the volume of pressurized fluid, for demating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft after launch of the launch vehicle and once the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft are in orbit;
wherein the volume of pressurized fluid provides a first motive force for reconfiguring the coupling means from the coupled configuration to the uncoupled configuration;
wherein the coupling means utilizes a second motive force for coupling the first spacecraft to the second spacecraft;
wherein the second motive force is a different kind of motive force from the first motive force; and
wherein the volume of pressurized fluid exclusively is ground-based and does not launch with the launch vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 in combination with the first spacecraft, the second spacecraft, and the launch vehicle, wherein the second spacecraft is mated with the first spacecraft by the system, and wherein the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft are housed in the launch vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first motive force includes pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure; and
wherein the second motive force includes spring force.

4. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the coupling means includes:
a plurality of pins configured to permit mating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft when the coupling means is in the uncoupled configuration and to restrict demating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft when the coupling means is in the coupled configuration; and
a plurality of springs associated with the plurality of pins, wherein the plurality of springs provides the second motive force, which biases the plurality of pins to bias the coupling means to the coupled configuration; and
wherein the volume of pressurized fluid is configured to provide the first motive force to selectively translate the plurality of pins responsive to an increase in pneumatic pressure operative on the plurality of pins and against a bias of the plurality of springs to reconfigure the coupling means from the coupled configuration to the uncoupled configuration thereby permitting mating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft, and to selectively permit translation of the plurality of pins under the bias of the plurality of springs responsive to a decrease in pneumatic pressure to reconfigure the coupling means from the uncoupled configuration to the coupled configuration thereby restricting demating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the volume of pressurized fluid is a volume of pressurized gas configured to selectively pressurize the coupling means to reconfigure the coupling means from the coupled configuration to the uncoupled configuration against the bias of the plurality of pins.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coupling means is free of motors and gears.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coupling means is not electrically powered.

8. A system for interconnecting a first spacecraft and a second spacecraft for launch by a launch vehicle, the system comprising:
a coupling mechanism configured to selectively and securely couple the first spacecraft to the second spacecraft, wherein the coupling mechanism has an uncoupled configuration, in which the coupling mechanism is configured to permit the second spacecraft to become mated with the first spacecraft, and a coupled configuration, in which the coupling mechanism is configured to restrict the second spacecraft from being demated from the first spacecraft, wherein the coupling mechanism is biased to the coupled configuration, wherein the coupling mechanism utilizes a single first motive force for transitioning from the coupled configuration to the uncoupled configuration and a plurality of individual second motive forces for transitioning from the uncoupled configuration to the coupled configuration, and wherein the first motive force is a different kind of motive force than the second motive forces;
a volume of pressurized fluid configured to apply the first motive force to the coupling mechanism to selectively reconfigure the coupling mechanism from the coupled configuration to the uncoupled configuration to permit mating of the second spacecraft to the first spacecraft, and wherein the volume of pressurized fluid exclusively is ground-based and does not launch with the launch vehicle; and
a demating mechanism, separate from the coupling mechanism and the volume of pressurized fluid and configured to facilitate demating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft after launch of the launch vehicle and once the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft are in orbit.

9. The system of claim 8 in combination with the first spacecraft, the second spacecraft, and the launch vehicle, wherein the second spacecraft is mated with the first spacecraft by the system, and wherein the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft are housed in the launch vehicle.

10. The system of claim 8 ,
wherein the first motive force includes pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure; and
wherein the second motive forces include spring forces.

11. The system of claim 8 ,
wherein the coupling mechanism includes:
a plurality of pins configured to permit mating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft when the coupling mechanism is in the uncoupled configuration and to restrict demating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft when the coupling mechanism is in the coupled configuration; and
a plurality of springs associated with the plurality of pins, wherein the plurality of springs provides the second motive forces, which bias the plurality of pins to bias the coupling mechanism to the coupled configuration; and

wherein the volume of pressurized fluid is configured to provide the first motive force to selectively translate the plurality of pins responsive to an increase in pneumatic pressure operative on the plurality of pins and against a bias of the plurality of springs to reconfigure the coupling mechanism from the coupled configuration to the uncoupled configuration thereby permitting mating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft, and to selectively permit translation of the plurality of pins under the bias of the plurality of springs responsive to a decrease in pneumatic pressure to reconfigure the coupling mechanism from the uncoupled configuration to the coupled configuration thereby restricting demating of the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the volume of pressurized fluid is a volume of pressurized gas configured to selectively pressurize the coupling mechanism to reconfigure the coupling mechanism from the coupled configuration to the uncoupled configuration against the bias of the plurality of pins.

13. A method for interconnecting a first spacecraft and a second spacecraft for launch in a launch vehicle, the method comprising:
utilizing a ground-based pneumatic pressure to retract a plurality of pins to permit mating of the first spacecraft to the second spacecraft, wherein a source of the ground-based pneumatic pressure comprises a volume of pres

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Aston Richard William
• Langmack Michael J

Classifications

• B64G1/641 Primary

  Interstage or payload connectors (docking systems B64G1/646) · CPC title

• B64G1/1085

  Swarms and constellations · CPC title

• B64G1/645

  Separators · CPC title

• B64G2001/643

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64G1/6455

  Pyrotechnics; Using heat · CPC title