Modular mother satellite bus for subsidiary payloads
First Claim
1. A self-contained, unmanned and unpressurized spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and subsequently separated therefrom, the spacecraft adapted to carry a plurality of subsidiary attached payloads and to provide bus services to each payload upon separation of the spacecraft from the launch vehicle, the spacecraft comprising:
- a main structural body;
substantially similar and standardized mechanical and electronic interface means for mechanically and electronically attaching each of said plurality of subsidiary attached payloads to said main structural body of the spacecraft;
modular control means operative through said interface means for controlling the function of each of said subsidiary attached payloads;
means operative through said interface means for providing spacecraft electric power and computer/controller and data bus resources to each of said subsidiary attached payloads;
means operative through said interface means for retrieving data from said subsidiary attached payloads; and
means for permitting communication between the spacecraft and external sources.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Multiple subsidiary small payloads are connected to standard mechanical and electrical interfaces provided by an expendable or recoverable modular mother satellite bus (MMSB) and launched into space as an assembly acting as a common carrier providing low unit launch costs for the attached subsidiary payloads and also providing a variety of electrical, pointing, and thermal control services for these payloads after reaching orbit. These services include but are not necessarily limited to controlled separation of free-flying satellites or re-entry vehicles, regulated electric power at a variety of voltages, telemetry, computer control, payload control via time delayed pre-programmed instructions, optional real-time payload control via direct radio communication or transmission through geostationary or other communication satellite links, time-driven or event-driven control logic, mass data memory, encryption and decryption of data and commands, payload pointing, augmented heat rejection, and interconnection between subsidiary attached payloads through the data bus. The MMSB thus provides a mechanism by which many subsidiary functionally related or unrelated payloads can be launched into orbit and provide data or services while sharing appropriate mother satellite bus functions essential to payload operation but not intrinsically part of the scientific, commercial, or data generation objective of the attached payload.
114 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A self-contained, unmanned and unpressurized spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and subsequently separated therefrom, the spacecraft adapted to carry a plurality of subsidiary attached payloads and to provide bus services to each payload upon separation of the spacecraft from the launch vehicle, the spacecraft comprising:
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a main structural body; substantially similar and standardized mechanical and electronic interface means for mechanically and electronically attaching each of said plurality of subsidiary attached payloads to said main structural body of the spacecraft; modular control means operative through said interface means for controlling the function of each of said subsidiary attached payloads; means operative through said interface means for providing spacecraft electric power and computer/controller and data bus resources to each of said subsidiary attached payloads; means operative through said interface means for retrieving data from said subsidiary attached payloads; and means for permitting communication between the spacecraft and external sources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A self-contained, unmanned spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and subsequently separated therefrom, the spacecraft adapted to carry a plurality of subsidiary attached payloads and to provide bus services to each payload upon separation of the spacecraft from the launch vehicle, the spacecraft comprising:
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standardized mechanical and electronic interface means for attaching a plurality of subsidiary payloads to a main structural body of the spacecraft, including standardized electrical and electronic interface units between said main body of the spacecraft and said attached subsidiary payloads, such that different payload types can be accommodated through utilization of complementary standardized electrical connectors on said different payload types; modular control means operative through said interface means for controlling the function of each of said attached subsidiary payloads; means operative through said interface means for providing spacecraft electric power and computer/controller and data bus resources to each of said attached subsidiary payloads; means operative through said interface means for retrieving data from said attached subsidiary payloads; means operative through said interface means for metering the electrical, computer/controller, and data services delivered to said attached subsidiary payloads such that billable services may be established and verified; means operative through said interface means for storing and transmitting the data associated with metered bus services such that peak rates and total use of bus services consumed by said subsidiary attached payloads can be determined; and means for permitting communication between the spacecraft and external sources.
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27. A self-contained and unmanned spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and subsequently separated therefrom comprising:
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(a) a central structural support column; (b) a plurality of standardized interface ports arranged on said support column for attachment of a corresponding plurality of functionally unrelated payloads; (c) modular interface control units incorporated within each of said interface ports, each of said modular interface control units including a connector plate incorporating a power bus interface connector and a data/command bus interface connector; (d) means within said support column for providing each said payload with multiple orbital flight services after launch via said interface control units; and (e) means for separating one or more of said functionally unrelated payloads from said spacecraft after launch. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. In a spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and subsequently separated therefrom, the spacecraft adapted to carry a plurality of diverse customer payloads into orbit, a communication system for electronically communicating with each of said payloads comprising:
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a digital subsystem including control means for communicating with said plurality of payloads; at least one bus coupled to said digital subsystem over which said digital subsystem communicates with said plurality of payloads; and a plurality of substantially identical interface control units, each interface control unit being coupled to said at least one bus and to a customer payload, whereby substantially identical interface control units may be used to interface between said digital subsystem and a plurality of diverse customer payloads. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An unmanned spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and subsequently separated therefrom, the spacecraft adapted to carry a plurality of subsidiary attached payloads and to provide bus services to each payload upon separation of the spacecraft from the launch vehicle, the spacecraft comprising:
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standardized mechanical and electronic interface means attaching a plurality of subsidiary payloads to a main structural body of the spacecraft; modular control means for controlling the function of said attached subsidiary payloads; means for providing multiple services including spacecraft electric power and computer/controller and data bus resources to each of said attached subsidiary payloads; means for retrieving data from said attached subsidiary payloads; means for permitting communication between the spacecraft and external sources; means for metering the said multiple services delivered to said attached subsidiary payloads; and means for storing and transmitting the data associated with said metered services.
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46. An unmanned spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and subsequently separated therefrom, the spacecraft adapted to carry a plurality of subsidiary attached payloads and to provide bus services to each payload under separation of the spacecraft from the launch vehicle, the spacecraft comprising:
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standardized mechanical and electronic interface means for attaching a plurality of subsidiary payloads to a main structural body of the spacecraft; first means for controlling the function of each of said attached subsidiary payloads; second means for providing multiple services including spacecraft electric power and computer/controller and data bus resources to each of said attached subsidiary payloads; third means for retrieving data from said attached subsidiary payloads; fourth means for metering said multiple services delivered to said attached subsidiary payloads; and fifth means for storing and transmitting the data associated with said metered services;
wherein said first, second, third, fourth and fifth means operate through said interface means.
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47. An unmanned spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and separated therefrom upon reaching a predetermined earth orbit comprising:
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(a) a central structural support column; (b) a plurality of standardized interface ports arranged on said support column for attachment of a corresponding plurality of functionally unrelated payloads; (c) modular interface control units incorporated within each of said interface ports, each of said modular interface control units including a connector plate incorporating a power bus interface connector, a data/command bus interface connector and a pyrotechnic interface connector; and (d) means within said support column for providing each said payload with multiple orbital flight services after launch via said interface control units.
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48. An unmanned and self-contained spacecraft adapted to be launched into space by a launch vehicle and separated therefrom upon reaching a predetermined earth orbit comprising:
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(a) a central structural support column; (b) a plurality of standardized interface ports arranged on said support column for attachment of a corresponding plurality of functionally unrelated payloads; (c) modular interface control units incorporated within each of said interface ports, each of said modular interface control units including a connector plate incorporating a power bus interface connector, a data/command bus interface connector and a customer interface port connector; and (d) means within said support column for providing each said payload with multiple orbital flight services after launch via said interface control units.
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Specification