公开(公告)号：US20150210407A1

公开(公告)日：2015-07-30

申请号：US14297370

申请日：2014-06-05

Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION

Inventor： KRISTEN S. GRIFFIN ,  JON CARPENTER ,  GREGORY J. LEE ,  AMY LO ,  RONALD POLIDAN ,  DANIEL SOKOL ,  BARNABY WAINFAN ,  WARREN JAMES ,  DENNIS POULOS

IPC: B64G1/62 ,  B64B1/12 ,  B64B1/24 ,  B64B1/20

CPC classification number: B64G1/62 ,  B64B1/12 ,  B64B1/20 ,  B64B1/24 ,  B64B2201/00 ,  B64D2211/00 ,  B64G1/007 ,  B64G1/242 ,  B64G2001/1064 ,  B64G2001/224 ,  Y02T50/55

Abstract: An aerial vehicle including a collapsible and inflatable vehicle body capable of being filled with a lighter than air gas so as to make the vehicle semi-buoyant or 100% buoyant at a predetermined altitude in an atmosphere above a solar system body. The vehicle body has a shape suitable to provide aerodynamic lift. The vehicle may include a propulsion device coupled to and extending from the vehicle body, where the device provides power to aerodynamically lift the vehicle above the 100% buoyant altitude to a higher altitude where the vehicle can maintain that altitude through the aerodynamic lift and vehicle buoyancy. The vehicle is configured to be deployed/inflated from a collapsed and stowed configuration to a deployed/inflated configuration in an orbit above the atmosphere of the solar system body, and is configured to enter the atmosphere in the inflated configuration and descend without propulsion.

Abstract translation: 一种飞行器，其包括可折叠且可充气的车身，其能够充满比空气更轻的车辆，以使得车辆在太阳系体上方的气氛中在预定高度上半浮力或100％浮力。 车体具有适于提供气动升力的形状。 车辆可以包括联接到车身并从车身延伸的推进装置，其中该装置提供动力以将车辆空气动力地提升到高于100％浮力高度的高度，其中车辆可以通过空气动力升力和车辆浮力保持高度 。 车辆被构造成从塌陷和收起的构造展开/充气到位于太阳系体内的空气上方的轨道上的展开/膨胀构造，并且被构造成以膨胀构型进入大气并且不推动下降。