초록 ▼

The present invention provides a MKV interceptor including multiple kill vehicles with autonomous management capability and kinematic reach to prosecute a large threat extent. Each KV can self-manage its own KV deployment and target engagement for a determined target volume assigned by a designated

The present invention provides a MKV interceptor including multiple kill vehicles with autonomous management capability and kinematic reach to prosecute a large threat extent. Each KV can self-manage its own KV deployment and target engagement for a determined target volume assigned by a designated master KV. At least one KV is master capable of managing the post-separation of all of the KVs without requiring updates to the mission plan post-separation. The autonomous capability and increased kinematic reach provides for a more efficient use of boosters and more effective engagement of the threat.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A multiple kill vehicle (MKV) interceptor for intercepting targets, comprising: a booster stage configured to provide boost and attitude control to launch the interceptor on a ballistic trajectory; a plurality of autonomous kill vehicles (KVs); and an adapter, including, a support stru

We claim: 1. A multiple kill vehicle (MKV) interceptor for intercepting targets, comprising: a booster stage configured to provide boost and attitude control to launch the interceptor on a ballistic trajectory; a plurality of autonomous kill vehicles (KVs); and an adapter, including, a support structure configured to support the KVs during launch and deploy the KVs with a mission plan to engage a target cloud; a bi-directional space-to-ground data link to receive updates on the mission plan and transmit mission information on KV deployment and target engagement; and a bi-directional space-to-space data link to transmit the mission plan to at least one designated master KV and receive said mission information, wherein each said autonomous KV comprises, a bi-directional space-to-space data link to communicate with the other KVs and the adapter, an inertial measurement system configured to determine the KV's position and orientation, a passive sensor system configured to image a determined target volume of the target cloud and provide discrimination to support unambiguous assignment of targets from the mission plan, a divert attitude control system (DACS) with a kinematic reach to remove insertion error and prosecute the determined target volume; and a guidance unit configured to manage post-separation KV deployment and target engagement as the designated master KV and to self-manage its own KV deployment and target engagement for the determined target volume assigned by the designated master KV. 2. The MKV interceptor of claim 1, wherein said adapter does not include propulsion and sense capability. 3. The MKV interceptor of claim 1, wherein said adapter supports a cryo cooling system configured to form an ice block on each said KV during ascent that remains with the KV post-separation to cool the passive sensor on the KV. 4. The MKV interceptor of claim 1, wherein said adapter supports a signal conditioning unit that supplies power to the KVs during ascent. 5. The MKV interceptor of claim 1, wherein said adapter supports a processor that receives and processes the mission plan for engaging the target cloud and assigns a designated target volume of the target cloud to each KV, said processor passing the full mission plan on to at least one designated master KV pre-separation. 6. The MKV interceptor of claim 5, wherein the processor performs a built-in test (BIT) for each KV and reports back a single global health. 7. The MKV interceptor of claim 1, wherein said inertial measurement system provides frame-by-frame tracking data of a target image, each KV further comprising: a video processor that uses the existing frame-by-frame tracking data to motion compensate and temporally average multiple target images captured by the passive sensor system to generate a noise-reduced target image and to detect objects in said noise-reduced target image; and a tracker that uses the frame-by-frame tracking data to correlate noise-reduced target images with existing target tracks. 8. The MKV interceptor of claim 1, wherein post-separation said designated master KV receives any updates to the mission plan via the adapter, updates and transmits KV deployment to the other KVs, which perform an insertion burn to mitigate insertion error and acquire the determined target volume. 9. The MKV interceptor of claim 8, wherein said designated master KV receives data on the determined target volumes from the deployed KVs, updates and transmits KV deployment back to the other KVs, which then self-manage terminal engagement of the determined target volumes. 10. A multiple kill vehicle (MKV) interceptor for intercepting targets, comprising: a booster stage configured to provide boost and attitude control to launch the interceptor on a ballistic trajectory; a plurality of autonomous kill vehicles (KVs); and an adapter configured to support the KVs during launch and deploy the KVs with a mission plan to engage a target cloud; wherein each said autonomous KV comprises, a bi-directional space-to-space data link to communicate with other KVs, an inertial measurement subsystem configured to determine the KV's position and orientation, a passive sensor subsystem configured to image a determine target volume of the target cloud and provide discrimination to support unambiguous assignment of targets from the mission plan, a divert attitude control system (DACS) with a kinematic reach to remove insertion error and prosecute the determined target volume, and a guidance unit capable of self-managing its own KV deployment and target engagement for the determined target volume assigned by a designated master KV; wherein at least one said KV's guidance unit being configured to manage post-separation KV deployment and target engagement as the designated master KV to execute a mission plan to intercept the target cloud; and a bi-directional space-to-ground data link on either the adapter or one said designated master KV to receive updates on the mission plan and transmit mission information on KV deployment and target engagement. 11. The MKV interceptor of claim 10, wherein said adapter supports, a cryo cooling system configured to form an ice block on each said KV during ascent that remains with the KV post-separation to cool the passive sensor on the KV; a signal conditioning unit that supplies power to the KVs during ascent; and a processor that receives and processes the mission plan for engaging the target cloud and assigns a designated target volume of the target cloud to each KV, said processor passing the full mission plan on to at least one designated master KV pre-separation. 12. The MKV interceptor of claim 10, wherein a plurality of said KV's guidance units are configured to manage post-separation KV deployment and target engagement as the designated master KV. 13. The MKV interceptor of claim 10, wherein said bi-directional space-to-ground link is on the initially designated master KV. 14. A multiple kill vehicle (MKV) interceptor for intercepting targets, comprising: a booster stage configured to provide boost and attitude control to launch the interceptor on a ballistic trajectory; a plurality of autonomous kill vehicles (KVs) each having a passive sensor, said KVs configured to manage post-separation KV deployment and target engagement to execute a mission plan; and an adapter including, a support structure configured to support the KVs during launch and deploy the KVs; and a cryo cooling system configured to form an ice block on each said KV during ascent that remains with the KV post-separation to cool the passive sensor on the KV. 15. The MKV interceptor of claim 14, wherein said adapter further comprises a signal conditioning unit that supplies power to the KVs during ascent. 16. The MKV interceptor of claim 14, wherein said adapter further comprises a processor that receives and processes the mission plan for engaging the target cloud and assigns a designated target volume of the target cloud to each KV, said processor passing the full mission plan on to at least one designated master KV pre-separation. 17. A multiple kill vehicle (MKV) interceptor for intercepting targets, comprising: a booster stage configured to provide boost and attitude control to launch the interceptor on a ballistic trajectory; a plurality of autonomous kill vehicles (KVs); and an adapter configured to support the KVs during launch and deploy the KVs with a mission plan to engage a target cloud, wherein each said KV has a propulsion system that provides the kinematic reach and a guidance system to autonomously manage post-separation KV deployment and target engagement according to the mission plan as a designated master KV and to self-manage its own KV deployment and target engagement for a determined target volume assigned by the designated master KV without requiring updates to the mission plan post-separation. 18. The MKV interceptor of claim 17, wherein said adapter does include not propulsion and sense capability. 19. The MKV interceptor of claim 17, wherein said adapter comprises, a cryo cooling system configured to form an ice block on each said KV during ascent that remains with the KV post-separation to cool the passive sensor on the KV; a signal conditioning unit that supplies power to the KVs during ascent; and a processor that receives and processes the mission plan for engaging the target cloud and assigns a designated target volume of the target cloud to each KV, said processor passing the full mission plan on to at least one designated master KV pre-separation. 20. The MKV interceptor of claim 17, wherein post-separation said designated master KV receives any updates to the mission plan via the adapter, updates and transmits KV deployment to the other KVs, which perform an insertion burn to mitigate insertion error and acquire the determined target volume. 21. The MKV interceptor of claim 20, wherein said designated master KV receives data on the determined target volumes from the deployed KVs, updates and transmits KV deployment back to the other KVs, which then self-manage terminal engagement of the determined target volumes. 22. An autonomous kill vehicle (KV), comprising: a bi-directional space-to-space data link to communicate with the other KVs, an inertial measurement system configured to determine the KV's position and orientation, a passive sensor system configured to image a determine target volume of a target cloud and provide discrimination to support unambiguous assignment of targets from a mission plan, a divert attitude control system (DACS) with a kinematic reach to remove insertion error and prosecute the determined target volume, and a guidance unit configured to manage post-separation KV deployment and target engagement as a designated master KV and to self-manage its own KV deployment and target engagement for the determined target volume assigned by the designated master KV. 23. The KV of claim 22, further comprising: a reservoir adjacent said passive sensor system, a heat exchanger coupled to said reservoir, and an input coupling for receiving cryo gas to form an ice block in said reservoir during ascent. 24. The KV of claim 22, wherein said inertial measurement system provides frame-by-frame tracking data of a target image, each KV further comprising: a video processor that uses the existing frame-by-frame tracking data to motion compensate and temporally average multiple target images captured by the passive sensor system to generate a noise-reduced target image and to detect objects in said noise-reduced target image; and a tracker that uses the frame-by-frame tracking data to correlate noise-reduced target images with existing target tracks.