Spacecraft Stack Layered Release Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional launch vehicle dispenser systems are bulky and heavy, limiting the quantity, size, and weight of spacecraft that can be deployed into orbit due to their structural requirements.
Innovation Solution
A spacecraft deployment system where multiple spacecraft are stacked and releasably coupled, with a controller orchestrating layer-by-layer release from the stack and between spacecraft, using adaptable fasteners and biasing devices to minimize collisions and conserve fuel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a dedicated dispenser system is used to support and individually dispense spacecraft, then spacecraft can be deployed in orbit, but the dispenser system becomes bulky and heavy, reducing usable payload capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The spacecraft stack is divided into multiple layers with releasable couplings between adjacent layers. Each layer can be released independently from the stack, allowing progressive deployment without requiring a heavy dedicated dispenser system. The couplings are designed to release specific layers while leaving others attached, enabling controlled deployment sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the dispensing function from a separate dedicated dispenser system and integrates it directly into the spacecraft stack structure itself. The releasable couplings between spacecraft layers provide the dispensing capability inherently, eliminating the need for external bulky and heavy dispenser hardware while maintaining deployment functionality.
2Productivity
If a bulky dispenser system is used to support spacecraft, then spacecraft deployment is enabled, but the usable payload quantity and size that can be carried into orbit is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the spacecraft stack into independently releasable layers, the system enables deployment of multiple spacecraft without requiring a single large dispenser structure. Each layer's independent release capability allows for more efficient space utilization and increases the number of spacecraft that can be accommodated within the same launch vehicle payload capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Extracting the dispensing function from a separate bulky system and embedding it within the spacecraft stack structure removes the volume and mass constraints imposed by external dispenser systems. This integration allows maximum utilization of the launch vehicle's payload capacity for actual spacecraft rather than support infrastructure.
3Weight of moving object
If spacecraft are releasably coupled in a stack without a dedicated dispenser, then dispenser weight is reduced, but control over individual spacecraft release becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The releasable couplings are segmented into discrete interfaces between adjacent spacecraft layers, with each coupling designed for independent actuation. This segmentation simplifies control by providing distinct release points that can be activated sequentially or simultaneously based on mission requirements, reducing the complexity of managing a monolithic dispenser system.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacecraft stack structure provides its own dispensing capability through the releasable couplings between layers, eliminating the need for external dispenser control systems. Each coupling can be designed to release through simple actuation mechanisms, allowing the stack itself to perform the dispensing function without complex external control infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A spacecraft system includes a plurality of spacecraft in a stack. The stack has one or more layers, each layer includes at least two spacecraft, and each spacecraft is releasably coupled to one or more adjacent spacecraft in the stack. The spacecraft system also includes a controller configured to, for each layer, (i) cause the layer to release from the stack, and (ii) after the layer releases from the stack, cause the at least two spacecraft in the layer to release from each other.