Space vehicle comprising posts for forming a stack, stack comprising at least two such vehicles placed in a launcher, and method for releasing the vehicles
Disclosed is a space vehicle, such as a satellite, the vehicle including: at least one equipment-carrying module for carrying equipment of the vehicle; at least three posts extending at least partially in the same longitudinal direction and on the periphery of the equipment-carrying module, each post being provided with at least one releasable locking device; and a reinforcing structure which rigidly connects each post transversely to at least two other posts.
1. A spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) intended to be put into orbit around a planet, the spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) comprising:
at least one equipment carrying module ( 2 , 102 ), for supporting the spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) equipment;
at least three posts ( 12 , 112 ) extending at least partially in a same longitudinal direction (A) and at the periphery of the equipment carrying module ( 2 , 102 ), each post ( 12 , 112 ) being provided with at least one releasable locking device ( 15 , 115 ) which may have two states:
a locked state, wherein the locking device ( 15 , 115 ) is attached to an additional locking device ( 15 , 115 ),
an unlocked state, wherein the locking device ( 15 , 115 ) is released from any other locking device ( 15 , 115 );
a reinforcing structure ( 16 , 116 ) which rigidly connects each post ( 12 , 112 ) transversely to at least two other posts ( 12 , 112 ).
2. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein there are three posts ( 12 , 112 ) and they are distributed on the vertices of an equilateral triangle.
3. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein there are four posts ( 12 , 112 ) and they are distributed on the vertices of a parallelogram.
4. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each releasable locking device ( 15 , 115 ) comprises a magnetic member.
5. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each releasable locking device ( 15 , 115 ) comprises a pyrotechnic member.
6. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each post extends longitudinally between two ends ( 13 , 14 ), each end ( 13 , 14 ) being provided with a locking device ( 15 , 115 ).
7. Method of assembling at least two spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
positioning the at least two spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) such that the posts ( 12 , 112 ) of a first spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) extend at least partially in a same longitudinal direction as the posts ( 12 , 112 ) of the second spacecraft ( 1 , 100 );
cooperating each locking device ( 15 , 115 ) of the first spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) with a locking device ( 15 , 115 ) of the second spacecraft ( 1 , 100 );
switching to the locked state of the locking devices ( 15 , 115 ) of the first spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) on the locking devices ( 15 , 115 ) of the second spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ).
8. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing structure ( 16 , 116 ) comprises reinforcing members in the form of legs ( 17 , 117 ), the number of which corresponds to at least the number of posts ( 12 , 112 ), each leg ( 17 , 117 ) being attached between two posts ( 12 , 112 ).
9. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the reinforcing legs ( 17 , 117 ) are connected in pairs by shear consolidating members ( 19 ).
10. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the legs ( 17 , 117 ) are combined with the equipment carrying module ( 2 , 102 ) walls, the walls forming a support for the spacecraft. ( 1 , 100 ) equipment.
11. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the reinforcing legs ( 17 , 117 ) are connected in pairs by shear consolidating member ( 19 ).
12. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing structure ( 16 , 116 ) comprises reinforcing members in the form of legs ( 17 , 117 ), the number of which corresponds to at least the number of posts ( 12 , 112 ), each leg ( 17 , 117 ) being attached to one of the posts ( 12 , 112 ) and to a single attachment center (C).
13. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 12 , wherein the reinforcing legs ( 17 , 117 ) are connected in pairs by shear consolidating members ( 19 ).
14. The spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each post ( 12 , 112 ) is provided with two releasable locking devices ( 15 , 115 ).
15. Stack of spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 14 , comprising at least two spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) secured together, the at least one releasable locking device ( 15 , 115 ) of each post ( 12 , 112 ) of a first spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) being in locked position with a locking device ( 15 , 115 ) on a post ( 12 , 112 ) of the second spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ), the posts ( 12 , 112 ) for each spacecraft extending in a same longitudinal direction (A), the stack further comprising a device for controlling the state of the locking devices ( 15 , 115 ).
16. Stack of spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 15 , wherein the spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) are satellites comprising an Earth face ( 7 , 104 ) and an anti-Earth face ( 8 , 103 ), the Earth and anti-Earth faces being oriented in the longitudinal direction (A) of the posts ( 12 , 112 ).
17. Stack of spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) according to claim 15 , wherein the spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) are satellites comprising an Earth face ( 7 , 104 ) and an anti-Earth face ( 8 , 103 ), the Earth ( 7 , 104 ) and anti-Earth ( 8 , 103 ) faces being oriented in a direction transverse to the posts ( 12 , 112 ).
18. Spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) launcher ( 20 , 120 , 220 ), the launcher comprising a spacecraft interface structure ( 21 , 121 , 221 ) and at least one first stack of spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) according claim 15 , a first locking device ( 15 , 115 ) for each post ( 12 , 112 ) of the first spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) being in the locked state on a locking device ( 15 , 115 ) of the second spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ), the second locking device ( 15 , 115 ) of each post ( 12 , 112 ) of the first spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) being in the locked. state on the spacecraft interface structure ( 21 , 121 , 221 ).
19. Method for dropping spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) by means of a launcher ( 21 , 121 , 221 ) according to claim 18 , comprising a step of separation between. a spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) to be dropped and a spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) intended to remain in the launcher by putting into the unlocked state the locking devices ( 15 , 115 ) between the two spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) so as to release a single spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ).
20. Method for dropping spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) by means of a launcher ( 21 , 121 , 221 ) according to claim 18 , comprising a step of separation between a group of spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ) to be dropped and one spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) intended to remain in the launcher by putting into the unlocked state the locking devices ( 15 , 115 ) between a spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) from the group to be dropped and the spacecraft ( 1 , 100 ) intended to remain in the launcher ( 20 , 120 , 220 ), in order to drop the group of spacecrafts ( 1 , 100 ).