Inflatable docking station/garage for Mars rover

• US 7,434,355 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Vipul P., MacKnight, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): KATCHEVES, BASIL S
• Application Number:
  US10/733,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20050126081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 52/21.6, 52/21.3, 52/22.2, 52/21.1, 521/733, 47/17
• US Class Current: 52/2.11
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/00 Cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/16 Extraterrestrial cars
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/2227 Inflating
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/04 wheeled, hinged, foldable, telescopic, swinging or otherwise movable

Abstract

An inflatable docking station for a Mars roving vehicle (Mars rover) provides a recharging station as well as a storage facility for the Mars rover during adverse environmental conditions. The docking station/garage allows for extended operational life for the Mars Rover, allows for the Mars rover to operate at the polar regions of Mars, where extreme cold conditions restrict rover operation, and provides for a warmer habitat for the Mars rover. Conventional planetary roving vehicles only be deployed from the warmer equator region of the planet surface. However, these roving vehicles may never explore the polar regions because the roving vehicle may not have enough stored power. The docking station/garage provides a remote outpost for, among other things, storing and recharging the Mars Rover to allow it to reach more remote areas.

Claims

1. An inflatable garage comprising:

walls made of a self-rigidizing material and a roof portion made of a self-rigidizing material, the roof portion having at least one solar panel integral thereto;

an inflator for inflating said inflatable garage upon deployment at a desired location, the inflator including an inflation gas in a sealed container that makes the self-rigidizing material more rigid;

an interior portion suitable for housing a vehicle therein;

a first communication system for communicating between said vehicle and said garage;

a second communication system for communicating between a remote location and at least one of said garage and said vehicle; and

a heating and cooling system for providing a proper temperature for storing the vehicle, the heating and cooling system capable of converting a temperature in the garage of −

200°

F. into a temperature of between about 40 degrees and about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, wherein:

said remote location is located on the planet Earth.

3. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, further comprising:

solar panels disposed over at least a portion of an exterior surface of said garage;

an energy storing system for storing electrical energy generated by said solar panels; and

a power box for connecting said vehicle to electrical energy either from said solar panels or from said energy storing system.

4. The inflatable garage according to claim 3, wherein the solar panel comprises at least one solar wing panel section, and wherein when said garage is inflated, said solar wing panel provides additional solar panel surface area.

5. The inflatable garage according to claim 3, further comprising:

area sensors to detect the location of said vehicle and guide said vehicle to said docking station/garage when said vehicle completes a mission;

guidance sensors for guiding said vehicle inside of said docking station/garage; and

precision sensors for accurately position said vehicle at a predetermined position inside said garage.

6. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, further comprising area sensors to detect the location of said vehicle and guide said vehicle to said garage when said vehicle completes a mission.

7. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, further comprising guidance sensors for guiding said vehicle inside of said garage.

8. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, further comprising precision sensors for accurately position said vehicle at a predetermined position inside said garage.

9. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle contains an experiment module designed to conduct scientific experiments concerning conditions on a surface of a planet other than the planet Earth, and further comprising an experimental station for offloading the experiment module from said vehicle and loading a new experiment module onto said vehicle when said vehicle is positioned in said garage.

10. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, further comprising:

an outer section, enclosed on a top portion and at least two side portions, said outer section having an opening on two opposing sides, sized to allow said vehicle to pass therein;

an inner section, attached to said outer section;

a door on a portion of an exterior wall of said inner section, said door communicating said inner section with one of said two opposing sides of said outer portion, thereby allowing said vehicle to pass through said outer portion into said inner portion.

11. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle capable of entering and communicating with said garage.

12. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, wherein said planet surface is on the surface of Mars.

13. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, further comprising:

area sensors to detect the location of said vehicle and guide said vehicle to said garage when said vehicle completes a mission;

guidance sensors for guiding said vehicle inside of said docking station/garage; and

precision sensors for accurately position said vehicle at a predetermined position inside said docking station/garage.

14. The inflatable garage according to claim 1, further comprising:

an outer section, enclosed on a top portion and at least two side portions, said outer section having an opening on two opposing sides, sized to allow said vehicle to pass therein;

an inner section, attached to said outer section;

a door on a portion of an exterior wall of said inner section, said door communicating said inner section with one of said two opposing sides of said outer portion, thereby allowing said vehicle to pass through said outer portion into said inner portion; and

an experiment module, in said inner section, for offloading an experiment module from said vehicle and loading a new experiment module onto said vehicle when said vehicle is positioned in said garage.

15. An inflatable garage for storing or docking a rover, comprising:

walls made of a self-rigidizing material,

an inflator for inflating said garage upon deployment at a desired location, the inflator including an inflation gas in a sealed container that makes the self-rigidizing material more rigid;

an outer section, enclosed by a top portion and at least two side portions, said outer section having an opening on two opposing sides, sized to allow said rover to pass therein;

an inner section, attached to said outer section;

a door on a portion of an exterior wall of said inner section, said door communicating said inner section with one of said two opposing sides of said outer portion, thereby allowing said vehicle to pass through said outer portion into said inner portion;

a first communication system for communicating between said rover and said garage;

a second communication system for communicating between an Earth-based remote control station and at least one of said garage and said rover;

a heating and cooling system for providing a proper temperature of between about 40 degrees and about 70 degrees Fahrenheit for storing said rover;

solar panels disposed over at least a portion of an exterior surface of said garage;

an energy storing system for storing electrical energy generated by said solar panels;

a power box for connecting said rover to electrical energy either from said solar panels or from said energy storing system;

a roof portion of said garage having at least one solar wing panel section attached thereto, wherein when said garage is inflated, said solar wing panel section provides additional solar panel surface area;

area sensors to detect the location of said vehicle and guide said vehicle to said garage when said vehicle completes a mission;

guidance sensors for guiding said vehicle inside of said garage; and

precision sensors for accurately position said vehicle at a predetermined position inside said garage.

16. The garage according to claim 15, further comprising:

an experiment section, in said inner section, for offloading an experiment module from said vehicle and loading a new experiment module onto said vehicle when said vehicle is positioned in said garage.