Title:
SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING REMOTE SENSING DATA FROM NEAR EARTH ORBIT
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2019/140156
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A satellite system operates at altitudes between 180 km and 350 km relying on vehicles including an engine to counteract atmospheric drag to maintain near-constant orbit dynamics. The system operates at altitudes that are substantially lower than traditional satellites, reducing size, weight and cost of the vehicles and their constituent subsystems such as optical imagers, radars, and radio links. The system can include a large number of lower cost, mass, and altitude vehicles, enabling revisit times substantially shorter than previous satellite systems. The vehicles spend their orbit at low altitude, high atmospheric density conditions that have heretofore been virtually impossible to consider for stable orbits. Short revisit times at low altitudes enable near real time imaging at high resolution and low cost. At such altitudes, the system has no impact on space junk issues of traditional LEO orbits, and is self-cleaning in that space junk or disabled craft will de-orbit.
Inventors:
REEDY RONALD E (US)
SCHWARTZENTRUBER THOMAS E (US)
SCHWARTZENTRUBER THOMAS E (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2019/013149
Publication Date:
July 18, 2019
Filing Date:
January 11, 2019
Export Citation:
Assignee:
SKEYEON INC (US)
International Classes:
B64G1/10; B64G1/22; B64G1/24; B64G1/40; B64G1/44; B64G1/54; B64G1/58
Foreign References:
| US20090251773A1 | 2009-10-08 | |||
| US20170070939A1 | 2017-03-09 | |||
| US20120193015A1 | 2012-08-02 | |||
| US20120217348A1 | 2012-08-30 | |||
| US20080237399A1 | 2008-10-02 | |||
| US20160094288A1 | 2016-03-31 | |||
| EP0668212A1 | 1995-08-23 | |||
| US20100155524A1 | 2010-06-24 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
MARRONE, Matthew E. (US)
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