Flexible satellite for deployment from attachment hub

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773835-B2
Application number	US-201715827524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2017
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

An exemplary satellite includes a pair of payloads coupled to one another by a flexible boom, where the flexible boom is configured to enable easy manual engagement of the pair of payloads with an associated attachment hub, and also to provide a passive release force for deploying at least one of the payloads in a direction outwardly from the attachment hub. Potential energy for enabling the passive release is provided as stored strain energy in the flexible boom when flexed for attachment of the payloads to the attachment hub. The strain energy is released upon release of at least one of the payloads from the attachment hub, which release may be by way of a non-complex, non-exotic attachment mechanism. Additional payloads may be connected in series to the pair of payloads, with a flexible boom connecting adjacent payloads. The additional payloads may be released from the attachment hub via a non-complex or complex attachment mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A satellite, comprising:
a pair of payloads; and
a flexible boom extending between and coupled to each of the payloads,
wherein the satellite is configured to engage an attachment hub by flexing the boom, and to provide for a passive release force of the satellite from the attachment hub, wherein the boom is flexed between a biased state in which the boom is pre-loaded to retain strain energy in the boom whereby each of the payloads is attached to the attachment hub, and a non-biased default state in which the stored strain energy is released from the boom whereby at least one of the payloads is passively released from the attachment hub.

2. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the passive release force provides for passive separation of at least one of the payloads outwardly away from the attachment hub.

3. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the flexing of the boom allows for attachment of each of the payloads spaced from one another about the hub.

4. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the flexible boom has a single rest position.

5. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the flexible boom extends along a non-straight linear central path between the payloads.

6. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the flexible boom is a hingeless boom.

7. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the payloads includes an attachment mechanism that is configured to detachedly release the payload from the attachment hub without applying a force to the payload to deploy the payload outwardly away from the attachment hub.

8. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the boom in all configurations allows for continuous thermal or electrical connection between the payloads.

9. The satellite of claim 1 , wherein the boom in all configurations is configured to prevent direct physical engagement of the payloads with one another.

10. The satellite of claim 1 , further including a third payload and a second flexible boom extending between and coupled to the third payload and one payload of the pair of payloads, and wherein the satellite including the three payloads and the two flexible booms is configured to engage the attachment hub by flexing the two booms, and to provide for a passive release force of the satellite from the attachment hub.

11. A satellite assembly including the attachment hub having a plurality of ports and the satellite of claim 1 , wherein at least one payload of the pair of payloads is attached to the attachment hub at one of the ports.

12. A satellite, comprising:
a pair of payloads each having an attachment portion for separately attaching to a port of an attachment hub; and
a boom extending between and coupled to each of the payloads of the pair of payloads, wherein the boom is configured to transition between a biased state for attachment of the pair of payloads to the attachment hub, with the boom having stored strain energy when in the biased state, and a non-biased default state for at least partial deployment of at least one of the pair of payloads outwardly from the attachment hub, after the boom is flexed to release the stored strain energy.

13. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the payloads are spaced closer together when the boom is in the biased state than when the boom is in the default state.

14. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the boom is configured such that it has a single default state.

15. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the boom in all states is configured to allow for continuous thermal or electrical connection between the payloads.

16. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the boom in all states is configured to prevent direct physical engagement of the payloads with one another.

17. The satellite of claim 12 , further including a third payload and a second boom extending between and coupled to the third payload and one payload of the pair of payloads, and wherein the second boom is configured to transition between a biased state for attachment to the attachment hub, with the second boom having stored energy, and a default state for at least partial deployment outwardly from the attachment hub, after release of the stored energy.

18. A method of deployment of a satellite from an attachment hub, the method including the steps of:
providing the satellite having a pair of payloads with a flexible boom extending therebetween, and each of the payloads being coupled to the attachment hub by an attachment mechanism;
releasing the attachment mechanism coupled between a first of the payloads and the attachment hub; and
transitioning the flexible boom from a biased state having stored strain energy to a non-biased default state, thereby outwardly deploying the first of the payloads from the attachment hub via release of the stored strain energy from the flexible boom.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the release of the stored strain energy from the flexible boom includes the boom unflexing from being flexed in the biased state.

20. The method of claim 18 , further including the step of releasing the attachment mechanism, without the attachment mechanism applying a force to the first of the payloads that would deploy the first of the payloads outwardly away from the attachment hub.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Cosner Christopher M
• Baldwin Michael S

Classifications

• B64G1/10 Primary

  Artificial satellites; Systems of such satellites; Interplanetary vehicles (space shuttles B64G1/14) · CPC title

• B64G1/645

  Separators · CPC title

• B64G1/641 Primary

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

• B64G1/6457

  Springs; Shape memory actuators · CPC title