Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Systems and methods for delivering, storing, and processing materials in space
-
Application No.: US16126882Application Date: 2018-09-10
-
Publication No.: US11358739B2Publication Date: 2022-06-14
- Inventor: Daniel Faber
- Applicant: Orbit Fab, Inc.
- Applicant Address: US CA Cupertino
- Assignee: Orbit Fab, Inc.
- Current Assignee: Orbit Fab, Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Cupertino
- Agency: Perkins Coie LLP
- Main IPC: B64G1/10
- IPC: B64G1/10 ; B64G1/64 ; B64G1/00

Abstract:
Systems and methods for transferring, storing, and/or processing materials, such as fuel or propellant, in space, are disclosed. A representative system includes a flexible container that is changeable between a stowed configuration in which the flexible container is contained within a satellite, and a deployed configuration in which the flexible container extends away from the satellite. The system can include a tanker with a storage container to dock with and refuel a satellite. Another representative system includes a controller programmed with instructions that position a spacecraft with a storage container in a first orbit, transfer the spacecraft to a second orbit, dock the spacecraft with a satellite in the second orbit, transfer material between the storage container and the satellite, undock the spacecraft from the satellite, and, optionally, return the spacecraft to the first orbit. An androgynous coupling system with mechanical and fluid connectors facilitates docking and material transfer.
Public/Granted literature
- US20190077523A1 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING, STORING, AND PROCESSING MATERIALS IN SPACE Public/Granted day:2019-03-14
Information query