Spacecraft for removal of space orbital debris
First Claim
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1. A system for removing an object from an orbit, the system comprising,a thruster for moving the system towards the object, a grabber for grabbing the object as a grabbed object, the grabber comprising:
- a plurality of inflatable fingers;
a gas supply for inflating the inflatable fingers;
mechanical motors for controlling the grabber to grab the object; and
tension lines connecting the motors to the inflatable fingers for bending the inflatable fingers for grabbing the object, and a deorbitor for removing the grabbed object from the orbit.
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Abstract
A deorbiting spacecraft includes a grabber for grabbing an orbiting debris object in space and a deorbitor for deorbiting the debris object. The grabber includes inflatable fingers with loop eyes for bending inflated fingers around and to grab the space debris object using controlled motors and tension lines. The deorbitor is a dragsphere for deorbiting low earth orbit debris objects into the atmosphere for burn up, or is a surface for collecting solar wind for pushing the debris into an outer disposal orbit, or is a thruster for transorbiting a high earth orbit debris object to an outer waste orbit.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A system for removing an object from an orbit, the system comprising,
a thruster for moving the system towards the object, a grabber for grabbing the object as a grabbed object, the grabber comprising: -
a plurality of inflatable fingers;
a gas supply for inflating the inflatable fingers;
mechanical motors for controlling the grabber to grab the object; and
tension lines connecting the motors to the inflatable fingers for bending the inflatable fingers for grabbing the object, and a deorbitor for removing the grabbed object from the orbit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
loop eyes attached to the fingers for routing the tension lines along the fingers for controlling the grabbing of the fingers. -
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the deorbitor is a thruster.
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4. The system of claim 1 wherein,
the orbit is a high attitude orbit, and the deorbitor is a thruster for removing the object from the high altitude orbit to an disposal orbit. -
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the deorbitor is a dragsphere.
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6. The system of claim 1 wherein the deorbitor is an inflatable dragsphere containing a sublimation powder for inflating the dragsphere in space.
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7. The system of claim 1 wherein the deorbitor comprises,
an inflatable dragsphere, and a gas supply for inflating the dragsphere, the dragsphere being an inflatable balloon. -
8. The system of claim 1 wherein
the orbit is a low earth orbit, the deorbitor is a dragsphere for removing the object from the low earth orbit into atmosphere of earth, the atmosphere applying pressure upon the dragsphere to deorbit the object. -
9. The system of claim 1 wherein
the orbit is a high earth orbit, the deorbitor is a dragsphere for removing the object from the low earth orbit into an outer disposal orbit with solar wind applying pressure upon the dragsphere to deorbit the object. -
10. The system of claim 1 wherein
the orbit is a high earth orbit, the deorbitor comprises a surface for receiving solar wind pressure for removing the object from the high earth orbit into an outer disposal orbit to deorbit the object.
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11. A system for grabbing an object in space, the system comprising,
a thruster for moving the system towards the object, a grabber for grabbing the object as a grabbed object, the grabber comprising: -
a plurality of inflatable fingers;
a gas supply for inflating the inflatable fingers;
mechanical motors for controlling the grabber to grab the object; and
tension lines connecting the motors to the inflatable fingers for bending the inflatable fingers for grabbing the object.
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12. The system for grabbing an object in space, the grabber comprising,
a plurality of inflatable fingers, a gas supply for inflating the inflatable fingers, mechanical motors form controlling the grabber to grab the object, tension lines connecting the motors to the inflatable fingers for bending the inflatable fingers for grabbing the object, and loop eyes attached to the fingers for routing the tension lines along the fingers for controlling the grabbing of the fingers.
Specification
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Current AssigneeAerospace Corporation
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Original AssigneeAerospace Corporation
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InventorsRobinson, Ernie Y.
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Primary Examiner(s)Carone, Michael J.
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Assistant Examiner(s)SEMUNEGUS, LULIT
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Application NumberUS10/179,788Time in Patent Office526 DaysField of Search244/158.R, 244/161, 244/163, 244/159, 414/729US Class Current244/172.4CPC Class CodesB64G 1/1078 Maintenance satellites refu...B64G 1/1081 for debris removalB64G 1/242 Orbits and trajectoriesB64G 1/2427 Transfer orbitsB64G 1/646 Docking or rendezvous syste...
