US 12,404,042 B2
Directing light for thermal and power applications in space
Joel C. Sercel, Lake View Terrace, CA (US); James G. Small, Sonoita, AZ (US); and Philip J. Wahl, Altadena, CA (US)
Assigned to Trans Astronautica Corporation, Lake View Terrace, CA (US)
Filed by Trans Astronautica Corporation, Lake View Terrace, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/186,044.
Application 18/186,044 is a division of application No. 17/382,727, filed on Jul. 22, 2021, granted, now 11,608,196.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/055,231, filed on Jul. 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0249848 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. B64G 1/40 (2006.01); B64G 1/44 (2006.01); B64G 1/54 (2006.01); H02S 40/22 (2014.01); F24S 20/20 (2018.01); F24S 20/30 (2018.01); H02S 40/44 (2014.01)
CPC B64G 1/407 (2013.01) [B64G 1/401 (2013.01); B64G 1/443 (2013.01); B64G 1/54 (2013.01); H02S 40/22 (2014.12); F24S 20/20 (2018.05); F24S 20/30 (2018.05); H02S 40/44 (2014.12)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A spacecraft, comprising:
an asteroid capture system configured to capture and contain an asteroid; and
a solar power collection system configured to:
collect solar energy from the sun,
generate a solar beam from the collected solar energy, and
redirect the solar beam into the captured asteroid,
wherein the solar power collection system comprises one or more sensors configured to detect misalignment of the solar beam, the solar power collection system further configured to redirect the solar beam based on output of the one or more sensors.