74results about "Inflatable space structures" patented technology

An apparatus for lowering an orbit of a space object includes an envelope, an inflation system for inflating the envelope, an inflation control system for controlling the inflation system, and attachment hardware for connecting the apparatus and the space object. Inflating the envelope increases an effective drag area of the envelope for increasing atmospheric drag on the envelope.

Affordable commercial service platforms in space focusing on customer affordability, quality microgravity services, innovation and combining five emerging space technologies. The invention provides an integrated approach to microgravity services in orbit. First, the reusable launch vehicle (RLV) offers affordable transportation services, platform reboost, and eliminates platform subsystems of propulsion, RCS, liquid storage / resupply, and the like. Second, deployable structures are not heavy for the launch, but expand in orbit. Third, orbital phone networks offer customers control of unmanned experiments. Fourth, an enhanced robotic system transfers payloads. Fifth, manufactured thin film solar cells in orbit offer advantages including weight / cost reductions. The orbital service platform has a low initial cost, expands as the market demands, is repairable, offers quality unmanned microgravity, leads to production facilities using similar hardware and offers numerous affordable commercial services.

Abstract of the Disclosure An inflatable boom for space applications, and a methods of folding and deploying a boom are disclosed. The boom comprises a membrane having a substantially tapered cylindrical shape. A wide end of the membrane is attached to a base, and a narrow end of the membrane is attached to a mandrel. The method of folding a boom comprises forming a plurality of ring-shaped folds in the boom membrane. The method of deploying a boom comprises increasing a gas pressure inside the boom and repeatedly unfolding the outer-most ring fold to increase the length of the boom.

A cryogenic propellant depot and sunshield are provided for operation in earth orbit to fuel or refuel other space vehicles. The sunshield is deployed to effectively mitigate solar radiation emanating from the earth and the sun thereby providing a long term storage solution for cryogenic fluids prone to boil-off. The depot has supporting subsystems to include station keeping equipment and communication equipment so that the depot can be independently controlled. Inflatable booms are used to deploy the sunshield in a desired pattern around the depot.

A flexible vessel includes a restraint structure and a barrier structure. The restraint structure further includes a first portion, and a second substantially rounded end cap portion that is attached to the first portion. The restraint structure also includes an array of tendons. The barrier structure is positioned within the restraint structure. When the barrier contains a fluid, a portion of the load is carried by the restraint structure and another portion of the load is carried by the barrier structure. The flexible vessel is collapsible to occupy a first volume and distended to occupy a second volume. The flexible vessel is part of a system when used in various applications with respect to a craft.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention includes an apparatus and method for making air and space inflatables and deployables using three dimensionally reinforced (3DR) membranes. A 3DR process preferably takes plural substantially flat gore segments, each segment made of plural membranes and reinforcing fibers, and joins adjacent gores so the seams on opposite sides are offset. Single ply seam tape may be used. When all gores are joined, a three dimensional deployable or inflatable (e.g., balloon) structure with a minimized seam is produced. Further, localized fiber reinforcement may be used, with different characteristics depending on the desired placement in the gore, allowing the substantially flat gores, when joined and loaded, to strain to the desired three dimensional shape. In doing so, the required number of gores and seams may be reduced, while using materials with significantly lower areal densities. Thus, the 3DR process allows one to make locally reinforced materials that optimize strength to weight ratios; permits single ply and sub-gore width seam tapes; permits multi-phase optimized envelope shapes, designed to efficiently handle multiple loading conditions; and provides increased design flexibility for a wide range of shapes and characteristics impractical or unavailable under prior techniques.

An inflatable docking station for a Mars roving vehicle (Mars rover) provides a recharging station as well as a storage facility for the Mars rover during adverse environmental conditions. The docking station / garage allows for extended operational life for the Mars Rover, allows for the Mars rover to operate at the polar regions of Mars, where extreme cold conditions restrict rover operation, and provides for a warmer habitat for the Mars rover. Conventional planetary roving vehicles only be deployed from the warmer equator region of the planet surface. However, these roving vehicles may never explore the polar regions because the roving vehicle may not have enough stored power. The docking station / garage provides a remote outpost for, among other things, storing and recharging the Mars Rover to allow it to reach more remote areas.

The present invention provides a sealing and restraint apparatus to establish a pressure boundary for inflatable or expandable spacecraft. The apparatus is capable of connecting the flexible pressure boundary of an inflatable spacecraft to the rigid structure of the spacecraft. The flexible pressure boundary of the present invention comprises a gas membrane and a restraint layer. The gas membrane minimizes air leakage. The restraint layer carries the forces created by the internal pressurization of the spacecraft. This apparatus provides a hermetic seal and the structural integrity necessary to resist internal pressurization forces.

An inflatable and rigidizable structure for use as a habitat or a load bearing structure is disclosed. The structure consists of an outer wall and an inner wall defining a containment member and a bladder. The bladder is pressurized to erect the structure from an initially collapsed state. The containment member is subsequently injected with rigidizable fluid through an arrangement of injection ports. Exhaust gases from the curing rigidizable fluid are vented through an arrangement of exhaust ports. The rate of erection can be controlled by frictional engagement with a container or by using a tether. A method for fabricating a tubular structure is disclosed.

A fuel depot in space is provided. The fuel depot has a collapsible housing with a guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) system, a power management system, and a reaction control system (RNC). Connected to the housing are a plurality of fuel tanks that are connected via collapsible rods. The fuel tanks have pipe systems that are in communication with a plurality of pumps to transfer fuel from the tanks through a refueling arm and into a spacecraft during refueling.

A structure that includes a plurality of cells of a cured resinous material. Each cell is joined to at least one other cell.

The invention relates to the technical field of space capsules, in particular to a space inflatable unfolded cabin. The cabin comprises an air brake cabin, a cabin core column and a flexible shell, the cabin core column is arranged in the flexible shell, the air brake cabin is arranged at the upper end of the cabin core column and arranged on the outer side of the flexible shell, and the flexibleshell is unfolded after being inflated; the cabin core column comprises a core column frame which is provided with an upper end layer, a middle layer and a lower end layer in sequence, the upper end layer and the lower end layer are each internally provided with an end layer plate component, a middle layer plate component is arranged in the middle layer, a space expansion component is arranged onthe outer side of the cabin core column, and provided with multiple expansion boards, expansion support rods are arranged between the adjacent expansion boards, a driving unfolding mechanism is arranged in the core column frame, the expansion support rods are driven by the driving unfolding mechanism to sway and unfold or fold the expansion boards. The cabin has the advantages of being foldable, small in mass, low in manufacturing cost, good in protective property and the like, and the cabin has a wide application prospect in the field of deep space exploration.

A fuel depot in space is provided. The fuel depot has a collapsible housing with a guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) system, a power management system, and a reaction control system (RNC). Connected to the housing are a plurality of fuel tanks that are connected via collapsible rods. The fuel tanks have pipe systems that are in communication with a plurality of pumps to transfer fuel from the tanks through a refueling arm and into a spacecraft during refueling.

For an inflatable structure having a flexible outer shell or wall structure having a flexible restraint layer comprising interwoven, load-bearing straps, apparatus for integrating one or more substantially rigid members into the flexible shell. For each rigid member, a corresponding opening is formed through the flexible shell for receiving the rigid member. A plurality of connection devices are mounted on the rigid member for receiving respective ones of the load-bearing straps. In one embodiment, the connection devices comprise inner connecting mechanisms and outer connecting mechanisms, the inner and outer connecting mechanisms being mounted on the substantially rigid structure and spaced along a peripheral edge portion of the structure in an interleafed array in which respective outer connecting mechanisms are interposed between adjacent pairs of inner connecting mechanisms, the outer connecting mechanisms projecting outwardly from the peripheral edge portion of the substantially rigid structure beyond the adjacent inner connecting mechanisms to form a staggered array of connecting mechanisms extending along the panel structure edge portion. In one embodiment, the inner and outer connecting mechanisms form part of an integrated, structure rotatably mounted on the rigid member peripheral edge portion.

A method of assembling an inflatable shell of a structure comprises folding a plurality of shell sections about a set of fold lines and integrating the plurality of shell sections together with one another to form the shell. In another embodiment, an inflatable shell comprises a plurality of shell sections, each shell section having two pairs of fold lines for folding into stowage comprising a first gore section having a plurality of first gore panels layered and collectively folded about at a first set of fold lines. Each layer of the first gore panels and second gore panels are configured such that, once the first gore panel and second gore panel are attached to one another at the respective side edges of each panel, the lines of attachment forming a second set of fold lines for the shell section. A system and method for fabricating gore panels is also disclosed.

A radiation reflector may be used in space telecommunications, having spherical reflecting surfaces and / or rectangular reflecting surfaces which may be folded, as required. The radiation reflector has an arrangement of reflecting surfaces on foldable frames which may be in the form of interacting balls or rings mounted on pneumatic tubes or ropes.

A space vehicle and its launcher are capable of low-cost launch, safe maneuvering, plus powered go-around for landing.

A shear-thickening fluid is used in conjunction with fabrics utilized in an expandable spacecraft. The combination of the fluid and the fabric allows the fabric to resist penetration by hypervelocity particles in space.

A shielding device (20) for optical and / or electronic apparatuses (16) is described, wherein said apparatuses may cooperate with incident electromagnetic radiation (X1, X2), in particular for space telescopes, the shielding device including:at least a filter (24, 26) provided for interacting with said incident electromagnetic radiation (X1, X2), for selectively filtering said radiation; anda support structure (22) for the filter.The support structure (22) is an inflatable structure, which is able to achieve an operating stand-by configuration, in which it is substantially folded together, and an active operating configuration, in which it extends along the longitudinal extension axis (ZZ), and is essentially completely unfolded. Furthermore, the filter (24, 26) includes a filter body, which is provided in order to be transversely positioned with respect to said longitudinal extension axis, when the support structure reaches its active operating configuration.

An inflatable docking station for a Mars roving vehicle (Mars rover) provides a recharging station as well as a storage facility for the Mars rover during adverse environmental conditions. The docking station / garage allows for extended operational life for the Mars Rover, allows for the Mars rover to operate at the polar regions of Mars, where extreme cold conditions restrict rover operation, and provides for a warmer habitat for the Mars rover. Conventional planetary roving vehicles only be deployed from the warmer equator region of the planet surface. However, these roving vehicles may never explore the polar regions because the roving vehicle may not have enough stored power. The docking station / garage provides a remote outpost for, among other things, storing and recharging the Mars Rover to allow it to reach more remote areas.

The invention is a structure, comprisinga first functional element (11) and a second functional element (12), said functional elements (11, 12) being form-retentive and being cooperatively functional in an operational state of the structure, in said operational state the functional elements (11, 12) having a predetermined relative spatial arrangement and being distanced from each other;a tension assembly (20) coupling the functional elements (11, 12) to each other, the tension assembly (20) being adapted to be taut in said operational state and being coupled to the first functional element (11) by respective first couplings and to the second functional element (12) by respective second couplings; the functional elements (11, 12), the couplings and the tension assembly (20) together forming a tensioned assembly; anda tensioning assembly (30) coupled to the tensioned assembly, the tensioning assembly (30) being adapted to exert a repulsive force distancing the first functional element (11) and the second functional element (12) for maintaining said operational state,wherein the system compliance of the tensioned assembly is less than 60% of the system compliance of the tensioning assembly (30).

An aerial vehicle including a collapsible and inflatable vehicle body capable of being filled with a lighter than air gas so as to make the vehicle semi-buoyant or 100% buoyant at a predetermined altitude in an atmosphere above a solar system body. The vehicle body has a shape suitable to provide aerodynamic lift. The vehicle may include a propulsion device coupled to and extending from the vehicle body, where the device provides power to aerodynamically lift the vehicle above the 100% buoyant altitude to a higher altitude where the vehicle can maintain that altitude through the aerodynamic lift and vehicle buoyancy. The vehicle is configured to be deployed / inflated from a collapsed and stowed configuration to a deployed / inflated configuration in an orbit above the atmosphere of the solar system body, and is configured to enter the atmosphere in the inflated configuration and descend without propulsion.

Magnetostrictive actuator. The actuator includes a flexible substrate and a magnetostrictive film on the substrate. The shape of the flexible substrate is altered in the presence of a magnetic field.

A method for making an opening in the bladder of an inflatable modular structure. The structure has a core comprised of a fore and aft assembly separated by a longeron. There is an inflatable bladder and a restraint layer that are secured to the core. The restraint layer is comprised of two circumferential strap assemblies; each attachedly fastened at opposing ends of a radial strap assembly, and has an opening for a window. The restraint layer fits over the bladder. The bladder is inflated and the restraint layer is used along with a window template to locate the position of the window on the bladder. The bladder is deflated, the template is removed, and the identified portion of the bladder is cut away. The method may then be repeated.

A flexible membrane is attached to an internal wall of the fairing of a flight vehicle. The membrane is inflated with gas to achieve a shape that couples with and thereby attenuates the first acoustic resonance occurring within the volume enclosed by the fairing. A sensor senses the varying ambient atmospheric pressure during flight. A pressure regulating system includes an inflation valve and pressure relief valve. Based on the sensed ambient atmospheric pressure, this system adjusts the membrane's gauge pressure throughout the flight trajectory to maintain the desired coupling gauge pressure. Acoustic blankets can also be attached to the internal walls of the fairing to abate resonances having frequencies greater than 500 Hz. Inflating the membrane with helium enhances the attenuation otherwise obtained. Multiple membranes can be individually tuned to respectively attenuate multiple acoustic resonances.

An inflatable airlock for use with a spacecraft is disclosed. The airlock has a substantially cylindrical shaped layered shell comprised of an outer meteoroid shield layer, a restraint layer under the meteoroid shield, and an air barrier layer under the restraint layer. There is a door arrangement attached to the airlock and the airlock is adapted to being attached to a spacecraft bulkhead that also includes a door. When inflated, a person can open the spacecraft bulkhead door and pass through from the spacecraft into the airlock or vice versa. When the atmosphere is removed from the airlock, a person can pass from the airlock into space or vice versa.