公开(公告)号：US12043416B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-23

申请号：US17764654

申请日：2021-11-26

申请人： Wyvern Incorporated

发明人： Kurtis Broda ,  Kristen Cote ,  Vincent Sauer ,  Callie Lissinna ,  Christopher Robson

IPC分类号： B64G1/22 ,  B64G1/10 ,  G02B23/02

CPC分类号： B64G1/222 ,  B64G1/1028 ,  G02B23/02

摘要： A satellite with deployable optics is provided. The satellite has a frame, an optical axis, and a deployable optical system. The optical system has a mechanical aperture perpendicular to the optical axis, where light collected travels substantially parallel to the optical axis. The optical system has a stored configuration in which it remains within the frame and a deployed configuration in which it extends outside the frame. In some configurations, the light-collecting area of the deployed configuration is larger than the possible light-collecting area of the stored configuration. In a partially deployed configuration, all of the primary mirror segments remain substantially within the frame, and the light-collecting area is smaller than that in the deployed configuration. A method of using the satellite includes setting the satellite to the deployed configuration, detecting whether there is a deployment malfunction, and, if so, setting the satellite to a partially deployed configuration.