Satellite communication system

• US 9,664,726 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc. (Spire Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Spire Global, Inc.
• Inventors: Platzer, Peter, Cappaert, Jeroen, Spark, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TRINH VO
• Application Number:
  US14/514,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20160111774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/67 Testing the correctness of wire connections in electric apparatus or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/38 using flashing light
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1434 for electronics exposed to high gravitational force; Cylindrical housings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1438 Back panels or connecting means therefor; Terminals; Coding means to avoid wrong insertion

Abstract

A cubesat design includes selected subsystems for managing communications to other satellites and ground stations. In one embodiment, the subsystem includes a deployable antenna having compact size and low weight that reliably releases and detects an extended antenna after launch.

Claims

1. A cubesat communication system comprising:

a structure, in the cubesat communication system, including;

an antenna that has a coiled profile when the antenna is not deployed, and transforms from the coiled profile to a straight line profile when the antenna is deployed;

a storage slot defined in the structure for storing the antenna when the antenna is not deployed, and

a hinged door that has a closed position to close the storage slot, the door being releaseably held in the closed position by a meltable wire;

a control connector, in the cubesat communication system, for releasing said door from the closed position and deploying said antenna; and

a detector, in the cubesat communication system, for generating a signal that indicates a successful deployment of the antenna.

2. The cubesat communication system of claim 1, wherein during the deployment of the antenna, the antenna exerts its spring force on the door to open the door.

3. The cubesat communication system of claim 1, wherein when the door is in an open position, a circuit in connection with the door is closed and triggers a signal to the detector confirming that the door reaches the open position.

4. The cubesat communication system of claim 3, wherein said circuit is closed when a contact arm in connection with the door contacts two metal screws.

5. The cubesat communication system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is about two feet in length in a deployed linear position.

6. The cubesat communication system of claim 1, wherein said wire is made of ultra-high-density-polyethylene and approximately 10 mm thick.

7. The cubesat communication system of claim 1, wherein the structure includes a second storage slot to accommodate a second antenna, and the second antenna extends from a coiled profile to a straight line profile when the second antenna is deployed.

8. The cubesat communication system of claim 7, wherein when the two antennae are deployed, they form a predetermined angle between them.

9. The cubesat communication system of claim 1, wherein the wire has sufficient strength to hold the door in the closed position against spring force of the antenna.

10. The cubesat communication system of claim 1, wherein the wire is in contact with two resistors.

11. The cubesat communication system of claim 10, wherein the control connector releases the door from the closed position by sending a signal to apply a current across the resistors and cause the wire to melt.