Satellite with variable master cross section

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9944411-B2
Application number	US-201514791083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 4, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A satellite comprises at least one first communication module, a repeater module, one or more antennas, at least one propulsion module and an avionics module, the repeater module comprising: a north first panel when the satellite is in an orbital position, an east second panel, a south third panel and a west fourth panel arranged respectively opposite the north first panel and the east second panel, the north panel and the south panel having widths Xmc R in the east-west direction, the east panel and the west panel having a width or Ymc R in the north-south direction; characterized in that: the value of the ratio Xmc R /Ymc R for the repeater module lies within the interval [0.84; 1.12], and the repeater module consists of a number of floors, and the value of Xmck varies as a function of the floor k and of its position in the repeater module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A satellite comprising:
at least one first communication module;
a repeater module;
one or more antennas;
at least one propulsion module; and
an avionics module,
wherein the repeater module comprises at least the following elements:
a north panel when the satellite is in an orbital position,
an east panel,
a south panel arranged opposite of the north panel,
a west panel arranged opposite of the east panel, and
a plurality of floors, each having a width in the east-west direction,

the north panel and the south panel having a width Xmc R in the east-west direction, and the east panel and the west panel having a depth Ymc R in a north-south direction, the width Xmc R being different than the depth Ymc R and a ratio Xmc R /Ymc R being within an interval [0.84; 1.12], and the widths of the plurality of floors having at least three different dimensions and varying along the repeater module to define a variable master cross-section of the repeater module, the variable master cross-section defined by the north panel, the east panel, the south panel, the west panel, and the plurality of floors.

2. The satellite according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of floors has a first dimension on a first side of the satellite and a second dimension on a second side of the satellite, the first dimension being different than the second dimension.

3. The satellite according to claim 1 , wherein the depth Ymc R is 2.5 m, and the width Xmc R varies between 2.1 and 2.8 m.

4. The satellite according to claim 2 , wherein the depth Ymc R is equal to 2.5 m and the width Xmc R varies between 2.1 and 2.8 m.

5. The satellite according to claim 1 , wherein the repeater module has a width of 2.4 m and a depth of 2.5 m.

6. The satellite according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more antennas are arranged in an east-west direction when the satellite is in an orbit configuration.

7. The satellite according to claim 1 , further comprising solar panels arranged in proximity to the south and north panels in a launch phase.

8. The satellite according to claim 7 , wherein the solar panels are deployed in a north or south direction in an orbital configuration.

Assignees

• Thales Sa
• Centre Nat Etd Spatiales

Inventors

• Nann Isabelle
• Mosson Nicolas

Classifications

• B64G1/1007 Primary

  Communications satellites · CPC title

• B64G1/10

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

• B64G1/443

  Photovoltaic cell arrays · CPC title

• B64G2001/1092

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64G1/223

  Modular spacecraft systems · CPC title