Orbit debris removal and asset protection assembly

• US 8,496,208 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Stone, Steven F., Guerrero, Jose L., Towles, Doyle L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US13/775,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 155 Days
• Field of Search: 244/171.7, 244/17.1, 244/158.9, 244/164, 244/173.3, 244/173.1, 244/158.1, 244/172.8
• US Class Current: 244/171.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1078 Maintenance satellites refueling in space B64G1/4024
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/222 for deploying structures between a stowed and deployed state
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/52 Protection, safety or emergency devices; Survival aids

Abstract

An orbital debris removal assembly is provided. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly includes a plurality of spaced layers of netting. Each netting layer includes a plurality of sub-layers of meshed composite fibers that are configured and arranged to break up debris that comes in contact with the assembly.

Claims

1. An orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly comprising:

a plurality of spaced layers of netting, each netting layer including sub-layers of meshed composite fibers configured and arranged to break up debris that comes in contact with the assembly, the composite fibers that make up the meshed fibers having a select thickness, the thickness of the composited fibers of one layer of the plurality of spaced layers of netting being different than the thickness of the fibers in at least one other layer of the plurality of spaced layers of netting.

2. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

each spaced layer of netting having a fiber mesh density, the fiber mesh density of one layer of the plurality of spaced layers of netting having a different fiber mesh density of at least one other layer of the plurality of spaced layers of netting.

3. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

the plurality of spaced layers of netting including an outer layer, an inner layer and at least one mid layer positioned between the outer and inner layers, the thickness of the outer layer being greater than the thickness of the inner layer.

4. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 1, further comprising;

the plurality of spaced layers of netting at least partially being in a sphere shape.

5. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

frame members configured and arranged to hold to the plurality of spaced layers of netting.

6. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 5, wherein the frame members are configured and arranged to be folded up to put the orbital debris removal assembly in a stowed position.

7. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 1, wherein the composite fibers are at least one of para-aramid, polyolefin, ceramic and Dyneema fiber bundles.

8. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a spacecraft coupled to the plurality of spaced layers of netting.

9. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

the spacecraft further configured to selectively deploy the plurality of spaced layers of netting and store the plurality of spaced layers of netting.

10. An orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly comprising:

a spacecraft configured to navigate in space; and

a plurality of spaced netting layers coupled to the spacecraft, each netting layer including meshed fibers, each spaced netting layer having a fiber mesh density, the fiber mesh density of one layer of the plurality of spaced netting layers having a different fiber mesh density of at least one other layer of the plurality of spaced netting layers.

11. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 10, wherein the meshed fibers are composite fibers.

12. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

frame members coupled to the spacecraft, the frame member further configured and arranged to form the plurality of the spaced netting layers.

13. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 12, wherein the frame members form the spaced netting layers in at least a partial sphere shape.

14. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

the plurality of spaced netting layers having an outer layer, an inner layer and at least one mid layer between the outer layer and the inner layer, the fiber mesh density of the outer layer being less than the fiber density of the inner layer.

15. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

the plurality of spaced netting layers having an outer layer, an inner layer and at least one mid layer between the outer layer and the inner layer; and

the meshed fibers in each layer having a select thickness, the thickness of the meshed fibers in each spaced layer decreasing from the outer layer to the inner layer.

16. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 10, wherein each netting layer, includes a plurality of sub-layers of meshed fibers.

17. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of connecting fibers configured and arranged to couple the sub-layers together.

18. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 16, wherein at least one sub-layer of the plurality of sub-layers has a different fiber spacing than at least one other sub-layer.

19. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly of claim 17, wherein at least one sub-layer of the plurality of sub-layers has a different fiber thickness than at least one other sub-layer.

20. An orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly comprising:

a plurality of spaced layers of netting formed in at least a partial sphere shape, each netting layer including meshed composite fibers, the plurality of spaced layers of netting having an outer layer, an inner layer and at least one mid layer between the outer layer and the inner layer, each layer of netting having a select fiber density of the meshed composite fibers, the fiber density of the outer layer being less than the fiber density of the inner layer, the meshed composite fibers of each netting layer having a select fiber thickness, the fiber thickness of the outer layer being larger than the fiber thickness of the inner layer.