US 12,358,655 B2
Method of servicing a spacecraft using a pod secured by another spacecraft
James Garret Nicholson, Broadlands, VA (US); Daniel Carl Treachler, Leesburg, VA (US); Oliver Benjamin Ortiz, Beltsville, MD (US); James Dulin Reavill, Irving, TX (US); Benjamin Michael Hekman, Percellville, VA (US); Robert Bryan Sullivan, Chantilly, VA (US); Carlos Guillermo Niederstrasser, Reston, VA (US); Mark Lieberbaum, Arlington, VA (US); Michael Joseph Glogowski, Leesburg, VA (US); William A. Llorens, Herndon, VA (US); and Kenneth Siu-Kin Chow, Great Falls, VA (US)
Assigned to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Falls Church, VA (US)
Filed by Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Falls Church, VA (US)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/980,236.
Application 17/980,236 is a division of application No. 16/742,603, filed on Jan. 14, 2020, granted, now 11,492,148.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/792,779, filed on Jan. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0058379 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. B64G 1/64 (2006.01); B64G 1/10 (2006.01); B64G 1/24 (2006.01); B64G 1/26 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/646 (2013.01) [B64G 1/1078 (2013.01); B64G 1/264 (2023.08); B64G 1/2429 (2023.08); B64G 1/402 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of servicing a spacecraft, the method comprising:
delivering a pod at an initial orbit that is lower than a geosynchronous orbit where the spacecraft to be serviced is located;
transporting the pod from the initial orbit s to the geosynchronous orbit at a location proximate to the spacecraft;
coupling the pod to the spacecraft at the geosynchronous orbit, the coupling comprising securing a docking mechanism of the pod to the spacecraft with assistance of another coupling spacecraft that holds and positions the pod relative to the spacecraft, wherein the pod lacks the ability to independently rendezvous and dock with the spacecraft; and
after being coupled to the spacecraft, performing at least one spacecraft servicing operation.