US 11,807,401 B2
Emergency deorbit device and emergency deorbit method
Kengo Yamamoto, Tokyo (JP); and Junichiro Kawaguchi, Uenohara (JP)
Assigned to IHI AEROSPACE CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP); and PATCHEDCONICS, LLC, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/259,316
Filed by IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP); and Patchedconics, LLC, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 27, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/028212
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 11, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/021696, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0253278 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. B64G 1/24 (2006.01); B64G 1/26 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01); B64G 1/44 (2006.01); B64G 1/62 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/242 (2013.01) [B64G 1/26 (2013.01); B64G 1/403 (2013.01); B64G 1/44 (2013.01); B64G 1/62 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An emergency deorbit device to be provided in a satellite flying on an orbit around the earth, for the purpose of separating the satellite from the orbit, the emergency deorbit device comprising:
a solid rocket motor that generates thrust for separating the satellite from the orbit, wherein the solid rocket motor is configured to complete fuel combustion in a relatively short time such that a direction in which the solid rocket motor gives propulsion to the satellite avoids influence by attitude change of the satellite;
a reception unit that receives a repeat signal repeatedly sent at an interval from a sending unit of a satellite bus in the satellite;
a detection unit configured to:
measure elapsed time from a time that the reception unit receives each repeat signal,
reset measurement of elapsed time upon the reception unit receiving each respective subsequent repeat signal, and
output a detection signal to an activation device when a measured elapsed time exceeds a set time period;
a position measurement device that measures a position of the satellite;
an attitude measurement device that measures an attitude of the satellite;
the activation device configured such that, in response to the detection signal, without requiring control of an attitude of the satellite, regardless of whether the satellite bus malfunctions or not, the activation device determines an orbit of the satellite and activates the solid rocket motor, based on the position and the attitude of the satellite measured by the position measurement device and the attitude measurement device, such that the activation device activates the solid rocket motor after waiting for a time point at which a condition that the solid rocket motor can cause the satellite to enter the atmosphere or to move to a different orbit is satisfied; and
a power supply device that is provided separately from a power supply device of the satellite bus and that supplies electric power to the reception unit, the detection unit, and the activation device.