A high capacity broadband service is provided from an Earth orbiting satellite having a payload that includes multiple large antennas, the satellite having an inverted configuration when deployed on orbit. The satellite has an aft surface proximate to a launch vehicle structural interface, a forward
A high capacity broadband service is provided from an Earth orbiting satellite having a payload that includes multiple large antennas, the satellite having an inverted configuration when deployed on orbit. The satellite has an aft surface proximate to a launch vehicle structural interface, a forward surface opposite to said aft surface, and a structure disposed therebetween. In a launch configuration, two or more deployable antennas are disposed, undeployed, on or proximate to and forward of the forward surface; on-orbit, the payload is operable when the satellite is disposed with the aft surface substantially Earth facing while the forward surface is substantially facing in an anti-Earth direction. Each deployable antenna is disposed, so as to be Earth facing, when deployed, in a position substantially forward and outboard of the forward surface.
대표청구항▼
1. A spacecraft, comprising: a structural interface adapter for mating to a launch vehicle;an aft surface disposed, in a launch configuration within a fairing of the launch vehicle, proximate to the structural interface adapter;a forward surface disposed, in the launch configuration opposite to and
1. A spacecraft, comprising: a structural interface adapter for mating to a launch vehicle;an aft surface disposed, in a launch configuration within a fairing of the launch vehicle, proximate to the structural interface adapter;a forward surface disposed, in the launch configuration opposite to and above said aft surface;a main body structure disposed between said aft surface and said forward surface;at least one antenna reflector, wherein, the spacecraft is reconfigurable from the launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration:in the launch configuration, the antenna reflector is disposed, undeployed, such that no part of the antenna reflector is aft of said forward surface; and,in the on-orbit configuration the spacecraft is disposed with the aft surface substantially Earth facing and the forward surface substantially facing in an anti-Earth direction and the antenna reflector is disposed, deployed, so as to be Earth facing from a position substantially forward and outboard of the forward surface. 2. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna reflector comprises at least four antenna reflectors. 3. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna reflector is unfurlable. 4. The spacecraft of claim 3, wherein the at least one antenna reflector has a diameter, when deployed, of at least three meters, and is disposed, when furled, in a relatively compact, approximately cylindrical, volume. 5. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna reflector has a diameter, when deployed, that exceeds three meters and a focal length that exceeds six meters. 6. The spacecraft of claim 5, wherein an antenna feed illuminating the at least one antenna reflector is located approximately equidistant from the aft surface and the forward surface. 7. The spacecraft of claim 6, wherein an average length of a plurality of waveguides serving the antenna feed is minimized. 8. The spacecraft of claim 6, wherein the average length of the plurality of waveguides serving the antenna feed is approximately three meters. 9. The spacecraft of claim 6, wherein the average line loss associated with the plurality of waveguides is no greater than 3 dB. 10. The spacecraft of claim 6,wherein the average line loss associated with the plurality of waveguides is approximately 1.5 dB. 11. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein torques resulting from thruster plume impingement on an antenna reflector are substantially eliminated. 12. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein an antenna pointing error is less than 0.028 degrees. 13. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein an antenna pointing error is less than 0.023 degrees. 14. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the spacecraft is compatible with a plurality of conventional launch vehicles. 15. The spacecraft of claim 14, wherein the plurality of conventional launch vehicles comprises at least two of: Ariane V, Atlas XEPF, Proton, and Sea Launch. 16. A spacecraft, comprising: a payload providing a data capacity of at least 200 Gbps and at least 100 user beams;a structural interface adapter for mating to a launch vehicle;an aft surface disposed, in a launch configuration within a fairing of the launch vehicle, proximate to the structural interface adapter; and,a forward surface disposed, in the launch configuration opposite to and above said aft surface;a main body structure disposed between said aft surface and said forward surface, whereinthe payload comprises at least one antenna reflector; wherein:the spacecraft is reconfigurable from the launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration;in the launch configuration, each antenna reflector is disposed, undeployed, such that no part of the antenna reflectors is aft of the forward surface; andin the on-orbit configuration, the spacecraft is disposed with the aft surface substantially Earth facing, the forward surface substantially facing in an anti-Earth direction, and, each antenna reflector is deployed so as to be Earth facing from a respective position substantially forward of and outboard of said forward surface. 17. The spacecraft of claim 16, wherein the payload provides a data capacity of at least 400 Gbps distributed across approximately 300 user beams. 18. The spacecraft of claim 16, wherein the payload is operable at frequencies in the Ka or V-bands. 19. The spacecraft of claim 16, the at least one antenna reflector comprises at least four antenna reflectors. 20. The spacecraft of claim 16, wherein the at least one antenna reflector is unfurlable. 21. The spacecraft of claim 20, wherein the at least one antenna reflector has a diameter, when deployed of at least three meters, and is disposed, when furled, in a relatively compact, approximately cylindrical, volume. 22. The spacecraft of claim 16, wherein at least one antenna reflector has a diameter, when deployed, that exceeds three meters and a focal length that exceeds six meters. 23. The spacecraft of claim 22, wherein an antenna feed illuminating at least one antenna reflector is located approximately equidistant from the aft surface and the forward surface. 24. The spacecraft of claim 23, wherein an average length of a plurality of waveguides serving the antenna feed is minimized. 25. The spacecraft of claim 23, wherein the average length of the plurality of waveguides serving the antenna feed is approximately three meters. 26. The spacecraft of claim 23, wherein the average line loss associated with the plurality of waveguides is no greater than 3 dB. 27. The spacecraft of claim 23, wherein the average line loss associated with the plurality of waveguides is approximately 1.5 dB. 28. The spacecraft of claim 16, wherein torques resulting from thruster plume impingement on an antenna reflector are substantially eliminated. 29. The spacecraft of claim 16, wherein an antenna pointing error is less than 0.028 degrees. 30. The spacecraft of claim 16, wherein an antenna pointing error is less than 0.023 degrees. 31. The spacecraft of claim 16, wherein the spacecraft is compatible with a plurality of conventional launch vehicles. 32. A method of reconfiguring a spacecraft from a launch configuration to an on-orbit configuration, the spacecraft comprising a structural interface adapter for mating to a launch vehicle, an aft surface disposed, in the launch configuration within a fairing of the launch vehicle, proximate to the structural interface adapter, a forward surface disposed, in the launch configuration opposite to and above said aft surface, a main body structure disposed between said aft surface and said forward surface, and at least one antenna reflector, the method comprising: deploying the antenna reflector from a first position wherein no part of the antenna reflector is aft of said forward surface to a second position wherein the antenna reflector is Earth facing from a position substantially forward of and outboard of said forward surface, wherein, in the on-orbit configuration, the spacecraft is disposed with the aft surface substantially Earth facing, the forward surface substantially facing in an anti-Earth direction.
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McVey Ray E. ; Bassily Samir F., Apparatus and method for combined redundant deployment and launch locking of deployable satellite appendages.
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