System, apparatus, and method for active debris removal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9555905-B2
Application number	US-201514843054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Oct 12, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for removal of orbital debris are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a spacecraft control unit configured to guide and navigate the apparatus to a target. The apparatus also includes a dynamic object characterization unit configured to characterize movement, and a capture feature, of the target. The apparatus further includes a capture and release unit configured to capture a target and deorbit or release the target. The collection of these apparatuses is then employed as multiple, independent and individually operated vehicles launched from a single launch vehicle for the purpose of disposing of multiple debris objects.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for removing debris, comprising:
a plurality of active debris removal (ADR) vehicles for removing a rocket body, each of the plurality of ADR vehicles are delivered to space by a single launch vehicle and comprise a cowcatcher attached to a front of each of the plurality of ADR vehicles, and the cowcatcher configured to protect instruments and mechanisms on each of the plurality of ADr vehicles when entering a nozzle of the rocket body, wherein
the single launch vehicle comprises a payload, the payload comprising the plurality of ADR vehicles,
each of the plurality of ADR vehicles is oriented upside down on the payload with respect to the single launch vehicle, and
the cowcatcher for each of the plurality of ADR vehicles is oriented towards a base of the single launch vehicle to transmit launch loads from the single launch vehicle to each of the plurality of ADR vehicles.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the launch vehicle releases each of the plurality of ADR vehicles in succession.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ADR vehicles loiters in orbit until a target plane assigned to the respective vehicle is near the respective vehicle plane.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ADR vehicles is further configured to rendezvous with an assigned target.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ADR vehicles is further configured to analyze an assigned target prior to capturing the assigned target.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of ADR vehicles is further configured to capture the assigned target.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of ADR vehicles is further configured to capture another pre-assigned target when the assigned target is not capturable.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ADR vehicles is further configured to deorbit an assigned captured target.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ADR vehicles is further configured to deorbit itself when failure to capture the target occurs.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a ground support and operations unit configured to simultaneously plan, navigate and perform operations on each of the plurality of ADR vehicles to capture and deorbit a plurality of targets.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ADR vehicles are clustered on the payload, and are independently targeted and independently operated.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the cowcatcher comprises a gridded frame to protect a corresponding one of the plurality of ADR vehicles when entering the nozzle of the rocket body, and
the gridded frame comprises an outer ring and an inner ring, the outer ring being larger than the inner ring, forming a shape of an internal nozzle of the rocket body.

Assignees

• Aerospace Corp
• The Us Nat Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Nasa

Inventors

• Griffith Sr Anthony D
• Kohli Rajiv
• Burns Susan H
• Damico Stephen J
• Gruber David J
• Hickey Christopher J
• Lee David E
• Robinson Travis M
• Smith Jason T
• Spehar Peter T
• Adlis David S
• Kent Brian M

Classifications

• B64G1/002

  Launch systems · CPC title

• B64G1/6462

  characterised by the means for engaging other vehicles · CPC title

• B64G1/1081

  for debris removal · CPC title

• B64G1/428

  Power distribution and management · CPC title

• B64G1/402

  Propellant tanks; Feeding propellants · CPC title