Autonomous flight termination system and method
First Claim
1. An autonomous flight termination system for terminating a vehicle flight after the vehicle is launched from an aircraft, the system comprising:
- a first global positioning system (GPS) receiver for determining a position of the vehicle during the vehicle flight relative to the Earth;
a first termination unit selected from a first cut-off switch connected to terminate the vehicle flight when actuated, and a first switch connected to detonate an explosive on the vehicle;
a system controller for receiving a first signal from the aircraft indicating separation of the vehicle from the aircraft and a second signal from the first GPS receiver to calculate an actual vehicle trajectory, and for sending a third signal to actuate the first termination unit to terminate the flight of the vehicle in response to determining the actual vehicle trajectory is outside predetermined safety bounds of a mission-planned flight trajectory for the vehicle; and
a failsafe controller connected to receive operational data of the system controller and connected to actuate the first termination unit to terminate the vehicle flight in response to the operational data indicating the system controller is in the error state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An autonomous flight termination system for terminating vehicle flight after the vehicle is launched from an aircraft includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; a termination unit selected from a cut-off switch connected to terminate vehicle flight when actuated, and a switch connected to detonate an explosive on the vehicle; a system controller for receiving a first signal indicating separation of the vehicle from the aircraft and a second signal from the GPS receiver to calculate an actual vehicle trajectory, and for sending a third signal to actuate the termination unit to terminate the flight of the vehicle when the actual vehicle trajectory is determined to be outside the safety bounds of a mission-planned flight trajectory; and a failsafe controller connected to receive operational data of the system controller, and to actuate the termination unit when the operational data indicates that the system is in an error state.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An autonomous flight termination system for terminating a vehicle flight after the vehicle is launched from an aircraft, the system comprising:
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a first global positioning system (GPS) receiver for determining a position of the vehicle during the vehicle flight relative to the Earth; a first termination unit selected from a first cut-off switch connected to terminate the vehicle flight when actuated, and a first switch connected to detonate an explosive on the vehicle; a system controller for receiving a first signal from the aircraft indicating separation of the vehicle from the aircraft and a second signal from the first GPS receiver to calculate an actual vehicle trajectory, and for sending a third signal to actuate the first termination unit to terminate the flight of the vehicle in response to determining the actual vehicle trajectory is outside predetermined safety bounds of a mission-planned flight trajectory for the vehicle; and a failsafe controller connected to receive operational data of the system controller and connected to actuate the first termination unit to terminate the vehicle flight in response to the operational data indicating the system controller is in the error state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A vehicle configured to launch from an aircraft, the vehicle comprising:
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an engine; a first autonomous flight termination system for terminating a flight of the vehicle after the vehicle is launched from an aircraft, the autonomous flight termination system including a first global positioning system (GPS) receiver for determining a position of the vehicle during the vehicle flight relative to the Earth; a first termination unit selected from a first cut-off switch connected to terminate the vehicle flight when actuated, and a first switch connected to an explosive on the vehicle; a system controller for receiving a first signal from the aircraft indicating separation of the vehicle from the aircraft and a second signal from the GPS receiver to calculate an actual vehicle trajectory, and for sending a third signal to actuate the first termination unit to terminate the flight of the vehicle in response to determining the actual vehicle trajectory is outside safety bounds of a mission-planned flight trajectory for the vehicle; and a failsafe controller connected to receive operational data of the system controller, the failsafe controller connected to actuate the first termination unit to terminate the vehicle flight in response to the operational data indicating the system controller is in an error state.
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15. A method for terminating a vehicle flight after the vehicle is launched from an aircraft, the method comprising:
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determining a position of the vehicle during the vehicle flight relative to the Earth with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; receiving by a system controller a first signal from the aircraft indicating separation of the vehicle from the aircraft and a second signal from the GPS receiver to calculate an actual vehicle trajectory; calculating an actual vehicle trajectory; determining the actual vehicle trajectory is outside predetermined safety bounds of a mission planned flight trajectory for the vehicle; in response to determining the actual vehicle trajectory is outside predetermined safety bounds of the mission planned flight trajectory for the vehicle, sending a third signal from the system controller to actuate a termination unit to terminate the flight of the vehicle; receiving operational data of the system controller by a failsafe controller; determining the system controller is in an error state based on the operational data; and actuating the termination unit to terminate the vehicle flight in response to the operational data indicating the system controller is in the error state. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification