대표
청구항
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The invention claimed is: 1. An apparatus comprising a structure, support means extending from the structure, and a system for controlling at least one of the position, alignment, and attitude of the structure in a zero or low-gravity environment, the system comprising targets and means for emitting energy beams directly at surfaces of the targets whereby the targets are impacted by the energy beams to cause ablation of the targets, wherein at least one of the emitting means and the targets is mounted to the support means so as to be positioned apart fr...
The invention claimed is: 1. An apparatus comprising a structure, support means extending from the structure, and a system for controlling at least one of the position, alignment, and attitude of the structure in a zero or low-gravity environment, the system comprising targets and means for emitting energy beams directly at surfaces of the targets whereby the targets are impacted by the energy beams to cause ablation of the targets, wherein at least one of the emitting means and the targets is mounted to the support means so as to be positioned apart from the structure, and wherein the system further comprises means for causing the emitting means and the targets to cooperate and selectively induce translation and rotation motion of the structure in any of six independent degrees of freedom in reaction to motion of material ablated from the targets. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emitting means comprises a laser gun and the energy beam thereof is a laser beam. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emitting means comprises an electron gun and the energy beam thereof is an electron beam. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the targets are shaped such that some of the material ablated from each of the targets travels toward the emitting means from which the impacting energy beam is emitted, the structure further comprising means for controlling the amount of the material that collects on the emitting means as a result of being deflected by the targets to travel toward the emitting means. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support means comprises braces extending in opposite directions from the structure along at least one axis of the structure, at least one of the emitting means and the targets being mounted to the braces. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the emitting means comprises at least two energy beam sources mounted to the structure, the targets comprise first and second targets mounted to opposite ends of the braces, and the two energy beam sources and the first and second targets are adapted to cooperate and cause the structure to undergo rotation in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the first and second targets by the energy beam sources. 7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the braces are rigid. 8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the emitting means comprises at least two energy beam sources mounted to the structure, the targets comprise a first target mounted to one of the braces, and the two energy beam sources and the first target are adapted to cooperate and cause the structure to undergo translation in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the first target by the energy beam sources. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the targets are formed of at least one of mineral and ceramic materials. 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the causing means comprises means for adjustably aiming the energy beams at the targets. 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support means comprises braces extending in opposite directions from the structure along three axes of the structure, at least one of the emitting means and the targets being mounted to the braces. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the emitting means comprises energy beam sources mounted to the structure, the targets comprise targets mounted to opposite ends of the support means, and the energy beam sources and the targets are adapted to cooperate and cause the structure to selectively undergo translation along each of the axes and rotation about each of the axes in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the targets. 13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the emitting means comprises energy beam sources mounted to opposite ends of the support means, the targets comprise targets mounted to the structure, and the energy beam sources and the targets are adapted to cooperate and cause the structure to selectively undergo translation along each of the axes and rotation about each of the axes in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the targets. 14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the emitting means comprises energy beam sources mounted to opposite ends of the support means, the targets comprise targets mounted to the support means adjacent the energy beam sources, and the energy beams emitted by the energy beam sources impact the targets not mounted to the same support means as the energy beam source thereof so as to cause the structure to selectively undergo translation along each of the axes and rotation about each of the axes in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the targets. 15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the structure is a satellite and the motion is a station-keeping maneuver. 16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the structure is a spacecraft and the motion is an attitude control maneuver. 17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the surfaces of the targets are curve-shaped such that some of the material ablated from each of the targets travels away from the emitting means from which the impacting energy beam is emitted. 18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the targets is impacted by multiple energy beams. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the surface of the at least one target is curve-shaped. 20. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controlling means comprises means for adjustably aiming of the energy beams at the curve-shaped surfaces of the targets. 21. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controlling means comprises shutters. 22. An apparatus comprising: a structure; support means extending from the structure; and a system for controlling at least one of the position, alignment, and attitude of the structure in a zero or low-gravity environment, the system comprising: targets; means for emitting energy beams at the targets whereby surfaces of the targets are impacted by the energy beams to cause ablation of the targets; means for causing the emitting means and the targets to cooperate and selectively induce translation and rotation motion of the structure in any of six independent degrees of freedom in reaction to motion of material ablated from the targets, wherein the causing means comprises means for adjustably aiming and firing of the emitting means; wherein at least one of the emitting means and the targets is mounted to the support means so as to be positioned apart from the structure; and wherein at least some of the surfaces of the targets are curve-shaped such that some of the material ablated from each of the targets travels away from the emitting means from which the impacting energy beam is emitted. 23. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising means in communication with the controlling means for sensing at least one of the position, alignment, and attitude of the structure. 24. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising means in communication with the controlling means for sensing the firing of the emitting means. 25. The apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising feedback means that senses at least one of the position, alignment, and attitude of the structure, performs an adaptive learning algorithm to produce modified position, alignment, or attitude data, and communicates the modified position, alignment, or attitude data to the controlling means. 26. A method for controlling at least one of the position, alignment, and attitude of an apparatus located in a zero or low-gravity environment and comprising a structure and support means extending therefrom, the method comprising the steps of mounting targets to at least one of the structure and the support means, emitting energy beams directly at the targets from at least one of the structure and the support means so that the energy beams impact the targets and cause ablation of the targets to selectively induce translation and rotation motion of the structure in any of six independent degrees of freedom in reaction to motion of material ablated from the targets. 27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising at least one step chosen from the group consisting of: adjustably aiming at least one source of the energy beams on a curved surface of at least one of the targets to prevent at least some of the ablated material deflected by the at least one targets from collecting on the at least one source; and operating shutters associated with sources of the energy beams to prevent at least some of the ablated material deflected by the targets from collecting on the sources. 28. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least two of the energy beams are emitted in directions away from the structure, the targets are spaced apart from the structure, and the structure undergoes rotation in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the targets by the at least two energy beams. 29. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least two of the energy beams are emitted in directions away from the structure toward a first of the targets spaced apart from the structure, and the structure undergoes translation in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the first target by the at least two energy beams. 30. The method according to claim 26, wherein the energy beams are emitted in directions away from the structure, the targets are spaced apart from the structure, and the structure undergoes translation and rotation in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the targets. 31. The method according to claim 26, wherein the energy beams are emitted in directions away from the structure, the targets are spaced apart from the structure, and the structure undergoes translation along each of three axes and rotation about each of the three axes in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the targets. 32. The method according to claim 26, wherein the energy beams are emitted in directions toward the structure and the targets, and the structure undergoes translation along each of three axes and rotation about each of the three axes in reaction to the motion of the material ablated from the targets. 33. The method according to claim 26, further comprising controlling aiming and firing of the energy beams. 34. The method according to claim 26, further comprising controlling aiming and firing of the energy beams in response to sensing of at least one of the position, alignment, and attitude of the structure. 35. The method according to claim 26, further comprising controlling aiming and firing of the energy beams in response to sensing of the motion of the structure. 36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising sensing at least one of the position, alignment, and attitude of the structure, performing an adaptive learning algorithm to produce modified position, alignment, or attitude data, and modifying the aiming and firing of the energy beams in response to the modified position, alignment or attitude data. 37. The method according to claim 26, wherein the structure is a satellite and the motion is a station-keeping maneuver. 38. The method according to claim 26, wherein the structure is a spacecraft and the motion is an attitude control maneuver.
