Spacecraft hardware tracker

• US 20080266173A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William H. Ailor
• Original Assignee: William H. Ailor
• Inventors: Ailor, William H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,557,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.07
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 3/00 Observing or tracking cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications

Abstract

A GPS tracker is disposed on launch hardware that separates from a spacecraft launch vehicle during ascent to orbit with the launch hardware having a suborbital trajectory from launch to impact while being tracked so as to track the launch hardware during suborbital flight, such as for tracking separated fuel stages, external tanks, external boosters, and payload fairings that return to earth.

Claims

1. A system for receiving GPS signals and providing tracking signals during a suborbital flight path, the system comprising,

launch hardware being part of a spacecraft having a launch vehicle portion for launching into orbit, the launch hardware coupled to the launch vehicle portion, the launch hardware having a suborbital flight path, and

a tracker coupled to the launch hardware, the tracker receiving the GPS signals from GPS satellites and providing tracking signals to a communications satellite for tracking the launch hardware during the suborbital flight path.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the launch hardware is a fairing.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the launch hardware is a fuel stage.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the launch hardware is an external tank.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the launch hardware is a solid rocket booster.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the launch hardware is a reusable solid rocket booster.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracker comprises,

a modem for receiving GPS signals and transmitting the tracking signals.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the launch hardware is a reusable liquid rocket booster.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracker comprises,

a modem for receiving GPS signals and transmitting the tracking signals, and

a battery for supplying power to the modem,

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracker comprises,

a data recorder for recording flight path data.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracker comprises,

a sensor for sensing excitations, and

a data recorder for recording sensing excitations.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracker comprises,

a sensor for sensing excitations, and

a data recorder for recording sensing excitations and flight path data and

a modem for receiving GPS signals and transmitting the tracking signals and recorded sensing excitations and recorded flight path data.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the tracker provides tracking data during an initial launch phase when the tracker is rigidly coupled to the launch vehicle.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the tracker provides tracking signal after an initial launch phase when the launch hardware is separated from the launch vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the tracker provides the tracking signal after an initial launch phase when the launch hardware is separated from the launch vehicle until impact of the launch hardware.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the tracker provides the tracking signal after the launch vehicle impacts earth.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein,

the communications system relays the tracking signals to a ground station.