Spacecraft servicing devices and related assemblies, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850869-B2
Application number	US-201816041709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2018
Priority date	Jul 21, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

Spacecraft servicing devices or pods and related methods may include a body configured to be deployed from a host spacecraft at a location adjacent a target spacecraft and at least one spacecraft servicing component configured to perform at least one servicing operation on the target spacecraft. The servicing device may include a communication device configured to receive data relating to the target spacecraft from a location remote from the spacecraft servicing device. The servicing device may include a coupling mechanism comprising at least one movable coupling configured to rotate the body relative to the target spacecraft when the spacecraft servicing pod is coupled to the target spacecraft. The at least one spacecraft servicing component may include at least one propulsion device positioned on a boom arm extending away from the body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spacecraft servicing system, comprising:
a host spacecraft carrying spacecraft servicing devices; and
a spacecraft servicing device of the spacecraft servicing devices comprising:
a body configured to be deployed and separated from the host spacecraft at a location adjacent a target spacecraft;
at least one spacecraft servicing component configured to perform at least one servicing operation on the target spacecraft while being coupled to the target spacecraft, wherein the at least one spacecraft servicing component comprises a thruster assembly configured to alter at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft when coupled to the target spacecraft, the thruster assembly comprising at least one thruster; and
a communication device configured to receive data relating to the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft from a location remote from the spacecraft servicing device and, based on the received data relating to the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft received by the communication device, the spacecraft servicing device is configured to control the thruster assembly to alter the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft while the spacecraft servicing device is coupled to the target spacecraft, wherein the spacecraft servicing device lacks any internal systems for determining telemetry data relating to the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft and is configured to rely on an exterior source at the location remote from the spacecraft servicing device to provide the telemetry data.

2. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 1 , wherein the spacecraft servicing device is configured to be positioned at a location adjacent the target spacecraft using only mechanisms of the host spacecraft.

3. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 2 , wherein a control system of the spacecraft servicing device is configured only to utilize the thruster assembly to maintenance the target spacecraft and not to move the spacecraft servicing device to the location adjacent the target spacecraft due to the lack of the telemetry data.

4. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 1 , wherein the thruster assembly comprises at least one of at least one electric propulsion thruster or at least one chemical propulsion thruster.

5. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling mechanism configured to couple the spacecraft servicing device to the target spacecraft.

6. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 5 , wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to enable rotation of the body relative to the target spacecraft.

7. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 6 , wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to alter a vector of at least one thrust force applied by the spacecraft servicing device to the target spacecraft with the thruster assembly mounted on a boom arm when the spacecraft servicing device is coupled to the target spacecraft by rotating the thruster assembly on the boom arm relative to the target spacecraft.

8. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 1 , where the at least one thruster is positioned on a boom arm extending away from the body, and wherein the at least one thruster is configured to move about at least one degree of freedom on the boom arm relative to the body.

9. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one degree of freedom comprises at least three degrees of freedom including rotation about three axes.

10. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 9 , further comprising a rotatable coupling mechanism configured to couple the spacecraft servicing device to the target spacecraft at an interface between the spacecraft servicing device and the target spacecraft, wherein one degree of freedom of the at least three degrees of freedom is provided by the rotatable coupling mechanism that is configured to rotate the spacecraft servicing device relative to the target spacecraft about the interface between the spacecraft servicing device and the target spacecraft when the spacecraft servicing device is coupled to the target spacecraft.

11. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one spacecraft servicing component comprises at least one propulsion device positioned on a distal portion of a boom arm extending away from the body, wherein movement of the boom arm is configured to alter an orientation of the at least one propulsion device positioned on the boom arm about a first degree of freedom, and wherein rotation of the body relative to the target spacecraft at the interface between the spacecraft servicing device and the target spacecraft is configured to alter the orientation of the at least one propulsion device positioned on the boom arm about a second degree of freedom.

12. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 1 , wherein the spacecraft servicing device is configured to receive the data relating to the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft directly or indirectly from the target spacecraft via a radio frequency link.

13. The spacecraft servicing system of claim 1 , wherein the spacecraft servicing device is configured to alter the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft using only the thruster assembly.

14. A spacecraft servicing device, comprising:
a body configured to be deployed from a host spacecraft;
a thruster assembly coupled to the body, the thruster assembly configured to alter at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of a target spacecraft after being coupled to the target spacecraft; and
a communication device configured to receive data relating to the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft from a location remote from the spacecraft servicing device, wherein the spacecraft servicing device is configured to be positioned at a location adjacent the target spacecraft using only mechanisms of the host spacecraft, wherein the spacecraft servicing device lacks any systems for determining telemetry data relating the spacecraft servicing device, and wherein a control system of the spacecraft servicing device is configured only to utilize the thruster assembly to maintenance the target spacecraft and not to move the spacecraft servicing device to the location adjacent the target spacecraft due to the lack of the telemetry data.

15. The spacecraft servicing device of claim 14 , wherein the spacecraft servicing device is configured to receive the data relating to the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft from the target spacecraft.

16. The spacecraft servicing device of claim 14 , wherein the spacecraft servicing device is configured to alter the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft based on the data relating to the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft received by the communication device.

17. The spacecraft servicing device of claim 14 , wherein the spacecraft servicing device is configured to periodically alter the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft based on data relating to the at least one of an orbit, a velocity, or a momentum of the target spacecraft periodically received by the communication device.

18. The spacecraft servicing device of claim 14 , wherein the spacecraft servicing device is con

Assignees

• Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Inc

Inventors

• Nicholson James Garret
• Treachler Daniel Carl
• Ortiz Oliver Benjamin
• Reavill James Dulin
• Hekman Benjamin Michael
• Sullivan Robert Bryan
• Niederstrasser Carlos Guillermo
• Lieberbaum Mark
• Glogowski Michael Joseph
• Llorens William A
• Chow Kenneth Siu-Kin
• Cipollo Peter Michael

Classifications

• B64G1/2427

  Transfer orbits · CPC title

• B64G1/1078 Primary

  Maintenance satellites (refuelling in space B64G1/4024) · CPC title

• B64G1/646 Primary

  Docking or rendezvous systems (refuelling in space B64G1/4024) · CPC title

• B64G1/402

  Propellant tanks; Feeding propellants · CPC title

• B64G1/40

  Arrangements or adaptations of propulsion systems · CPC title