Deployable Secondary Fairing for Rideshare Satellite Contamination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Secondary payloads in ridesharing launch systems often experience harsher environments and contamination due to their positioning below primary payloads within the launch vehicle fairing, leading to potential end-of-life issues before they can enter their operational phase.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a secondary fairing system that provides a separate, contaminant-free environment for secondary payloads, including a mount system to adapt to the launch vehicle's mounting ports and a deployment mechanism, allowing for controlled deployment after the primary fairing has opened, thereby isolating the secondary payload from the primary fairing's contaminants.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If secondary payloads are positioned below primary payloads in the launch vehicle fairing to maximize payload capacity, then the productivity and cost-effectiveness of ridesharing launches is improved, but the secondary payloads are exposed to higher levels of contamination and harsher launch environments which reduces their reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayload capacity utilizationVSAvoidsecondary payload operational lifetime

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the launch vehicle fairing into separate environmental zones by introducing a secondary fairing that encloses the secondary payload. This segmentation creates distinct contaminated and clean environments, allowing secondary payloads to be protected from launch contaminants while maintaining their position below the primary payload for efficient ridesharing deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The secondary fairing is nested within the primary fairing structure, creating a fairing-within-a-fairing configuration. This nested arrangement allows the secondary payload to be housed in a protected internal environment while the entire assembly remains integrated within the launch vehicle's primary payload enclosure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Manufacturing precision

If a separate secondary fairing is introduced to protect secondary payloads from contamination, then the purity of the secondary payload environment is improved, but the device complexity and structural requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental control precisionVSAvoidfairing structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The secondary fairing structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical mounting for the secondary payload, creates a sealed environmental barrier, and integrates with the launch vehicle's existing fairing system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protective systems and minimizes overall structural complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The secondary fairing employs sealed barriers and flexible sealing mechanisms to create a contaminant-free environment. These sealing structures provide effective environmental isolation while maintaining a compact and structurally efficient design that does not significantly increase overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the secondary fairing is designed to open after the primary fairing for deployment, then the harmful factors affecting secondary payloads are reduced, but the deployment mechanism complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination exposureVSAvoiddeployment mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The secondary fairing is designed to remain sealed during the entire launch process, with the seal maintained until after the primary fairing has opened and the secondary payload has been deployed to its operational position. This preliminary sealing action ensures complete protection from contaminants throughout the critical launch and deployment phases

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11673695B2Deployable fairing for rideshare satellites

Publication Date: 2023.06.13 LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP

AI summary

Provided herein are various improvements to launch vehicle payload systems, such as employed to launch and deploy secondary payloads into orbit. In one example, a system includes a fairing configured to encase a payload within an envelope of a primary fairing of a launch vehicle, and a mount system configured to adapt a mounting port for the payload to a mounting port associated with the launch vehicle. The system also includes a fairing door configured to be commanded open for deployment of the payload after the primary fairing has open.