IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,263,967
Granted Patent B2
US 12,263,967 · App. 17/770,310 · Granted Apr 1, 2025

Space traffic management system and space traffic management device

Inventor: Hisayuki Mukae (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
B64G3/00B64G1/1085
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,263,967
App. No.
17/770,310
Filed
Apr 20, 2022
Granted
Apr 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3665
USPC
701/13
Abstract

Having as its objective to take flight safety measure per satellite group, a space information recorder ( 101 ) is mounted in a mega-constellation satellite business device being a business device that manages a satellite constellation of 100 or more satellites, or in a constellation satellite business device being a business device that manages a satellite constellation of 10 or more satellites. The space information recorder ( 101 ) is provided with a category of a satellite group ID ( 112 ) which identifies a satellite group in which a group of a plurality of satellites having the same nominal orbital altitude cooperate with each other to fulfill a mission. The category of the satellite group ID ( 112 ) includes flight safety measure information ( 115 ) expressing flight safety measure of the satellite group.

Claims (58)

1. A space traffic management system comprising:

a space traffic management device mounted in a device that manages a space object flying in space and is operated by a mega-constellation satellite business that manages a satellite constellation of 100 or more satellites or in a device operated by a constellation satellite business that manages a satellite constellation of 10 or more satellites, wherein

the space management device is provided with a space information memory which records orbital information of the space object,

the space information memory is provided with a category of a satellite group identifier (ID) which identifies a satellite group in which a group of a plurality of satellites having a same nominal orbital altitude cooperate with each other to fulfill a mission, and

the category of the satellite group ID includes flight security measure information expressing a flight safety measure of the satellite group.

2. The space traffic management system according to claim 1 , wherein the flight safety measure information includes, as preventive measure information of collision in an own system of a mega-constellation satellite group, a method that changes orbital altitudes of a plurality of orbital planes having different normal directions so as to change an orbital altitude and an orbital inclination per orbital plane with which, even in a straight line formed by orbital planes that intersect, an orbital node does not exist and a collision probability becomes zero.

3. The space traffic management system according to claim 1 , wherein the flight safety measure information includes, as preventive measure information of collision in a crowded orbital region of a constellation satellite group and of individual satellites, all or some of:

a type of orbit indicating whether an orbit is a sun-synchronous orbit or a sun-asynchronous orbit;

whether or not a function of an avoidance action is available; and

whether or not adjustment is performed with a management business operator of a nearby-flying space object to contribute to flight safety.

4. The space traffic management system according to claim 1 , wherein the flight safety measure information displays, as preventive measure information of collision in a crowded orbital region of a constellation satellite group and of individual satellites, Local Sun Time (LST) of a sun-synchronous orbit and an orbital altitude.

5. The space traffic management system according to claim 1 , wherein

the flight safety measure information displays, as preventive measure information of collision in a crowded orbital region of a constellation satellite group and of individual satellites, an adjustment content of a case where adjustment is performed with a management business operator of a nearby-flying space object to contribute to flight safety, and

the adjustment content includes all or some of:

synchronous control within the same orbital plane;

polar region passage time management; and

an avoidance action rule.

6. A space traffic management system comprising:

a plurality of space traffic management devices each mounted in a device operated by a respective one of a plurality of management business operators which manage a space object flying in space, wherein

the plurality of space traffic management devices are connected to each other via a communication line,

each of the plurality of space traffic management devices comprises a space information memory to record orbital information of the space object,

the space information memory is provided with:

a space object identifier (ID) which identifies the space object, the orbital information, and public condition information; and

a device ID which identifies the device, and public condition information,

the space traffic management devices:

have data format compatibility,

share the space object ID and the device ID with each other, and

share space information of the space object ID and flight safety measure information among devices that comply with the public condition information, and

the plurality of management business operators include all or some of:

a mega-constellation satellite business that manages a satellite constellation of 100 or more satellites;

a constellation satellite business that manages a satellite constellation of 10 or more satellites; and

a satellite business that manages a satellite constellation of less than 10 satellites.

7. A space traffic management device mounted in a device that manages a space object flying in space and is operated by a mega-constellation satellite business that manages a satellite constellation of 100 or more satellites or in a device operated by a constellation satellite business that manages a satellite constellation of 10 or more satellites, the space traffic management device comprising:

a space information memory which records orbital information of the space object, wherein

the space information memory is provided with a category of a satellite group identifier (ID) which identifies a satellite group in which a group of a plurality of satellites having a same nominal orbital altitude cooperate with each other to fulfill a mission, and

the category of the satellite group ID includes flight security measure information expressing a flight safety measure of the satellite group.

8. The space traffic management device according to claim 7 , wherein the flight safety measure information includes, as preventive measure information of collision in an own system of a mega-constellation satellite group, a method that changes orbital altitudes of a plurality of orbital planes having different normal directions so as to change an orbital altitude and an orbital inclination per orbital plane with which, even in a straight line formed by orbital planes that intersect, an orbital node does not exist and a collision probability becomes zero.

9. The space traffic management device according to claim 7 , wherein the flight safety measure information includes, as preventive measure information of collision in a crowded orbital region of a constellation satellite group and of individual satellites, all or some of:

a type of orbit indicating whether an orbit is a sun-synchronous orbit or a sun-asynchronous orbit;

whether or not a function of an avoidance action is available; and

whether or not adjustment is performed with a management business operator of a nearby-flying space object to contribute to flight safety.

10. The space traffic management device according to claim 7 , wherein the flight safety measure information displays, as preventive measure information of collision in a crowded orbital region of a constellation satellite group and of individual satellites, Local Sun Time (LST) of a sun-synchronous orbit and an orbital altitude.

11. The space traffic management device according to claim 7 , wherein

the flight safety measure information displays, as preventive measure information of collision in a crowded orbital region of a constellation satellite group and of individual satellites, an adjustment content of a case where adjustment is performed with a management business operator of a nearby-flying space object to contribute to flight safety, and

the adjustment content includes all or some of:

synchronous control within a same orbital plane;

polar region passage time management; and

an avoidance action rule.

12. A space traffic management device mounted in a device that manages a space object flying in space and is operated by a business, the space traffic management device comprising:

a space information memory which acquires orbital information of the space object from a plurality of space object management business operators and records the orbital information, wherein the space information memory records:

a device ID which identifies a device,

an approved object number which is a regular-operation space object number approved by a country or an organization with authority,

an object number limit criterion, and

an actual on-orbit object number.

13. A space traffic management system, comprising:

a plurality of devices connected to each other via a communication line, wherein

the plurality of devices include a device managed by a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) business operator and a device managed by a mega-constellation business, and

the devices of the SSA business operator and the mega-constellation business each house an instance of the space traffic management device according to claim 12 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2022
From: MUKAE, HISAYUKI
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059647/0272 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-215664 · Nov 28, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220380068A1 · Dec 1, 2022
References Cited (21)
US 6385513B1 · Murray · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 11073622B2 · Cohen · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11780612B1 · Kopardekar · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20160188176A1 · Runnels · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20180022474A1 · Meek · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180305042A1 · Vaughan · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180346153A1 · Kaplan · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180370658A1 · Amimoto et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190181947A1 · Schloemer · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190389602A1 · Schilling · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200091994A1 · Kalita · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210067242A1 · Schloemer · 2021 [cited by examiner]
CN 107871047A · 2018 [cited by examiner]
EP 3493428A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017114159A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
NPL_2 : Engineering Notes Extension of the Sun-Synchronous Orbit Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics vol. 33, No. 6, Nov.-Dec. 2010 Malcolm Macdonald, Robert McKay, Massimiliano Vasile, François Bosquillon de Fre… [cited by examiner]
NPL_1 : The International Space Station: A Unique Platform for Remote Sensing of Natural Disasters ARES Biennial Report 2012 Final Document ID : 20150003831 Authors: Stefanov, William L.(NASA Johnson Space Center Housto… [cited by examiner]
Extended European Search Report issued May 4, 2023 in European Patent Application No. 20893287.1, 14 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion mailed on Feb. 9, 2021, received for PCT Application PCT/JP2020/044108, Filed on Nov. 26, 2020, 12 pages including English Translation. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion mailed on Feb. 9, 2021, received for PCT Application PCT/JP2020/044115, Filed on Nov. 26, 2020, 13 pages including English Translation. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued Dec. 11, 2024 in corresponding European Application No. 20893287.1. [cited by applicant]