John E Keigler

45996199, Jul 8, 1986

Jul 13, 1982

6/397893

John E. Keigler - Princeton NJ
Frank A. Hartshorne - Cinnaminson NJ

RCA Corporation - Princeton NJ

H04B 7185

343352

A satellite antenna pointing system for separately pointing separated transmit and receive high gain antenna systems includes means for separately and sequentially applying a beacon signal to the transmit and receive antenna systems and a broad beam width antenna which has a coverage area greater than the overall coverage region of the spot beam antenna systems. The system includes ground stations located at or near the periphery of the overall coverage region adapted to receive these beacon signals. At a central control station these beacon signals are compared to provide first signals proportional to the ratio of said beacon signals received from said transmit antenna system and said broad beam width antenna and second signals proportional to the ratio of said beacon signals received from said satellite receive antenna system and said broad beam width antenna. The central station generates from said first signals transmit antenna control signals which are sent to the satellite to control the orientation of said transmit antenna system. Likewise, the central control station generates from the second signals receiver antenna control signals which are applied to the satellite to control the orientation of the satellite receive antenna system.

43711359, Feb 1, 1983

Jan 26, 1981

6/228576

John E. Keigler - Princeton NJ

RCA Corporation - New York NY

B64G 100
B64G 144

244173

A solar energy reflector useful in space-oriented apparatus for reflecting the rays of the sun to a panel carrying solar cells. The solar cells generate direct current power for conversion into microwave energy for transmission to the earth or other spacecraft. The reflector comprises a rotating mirror and a fixed mirror arranged to reflect the solar energy rays to the solar cell panel continuously.

40712117, Jan 31, 1978

Sep 23, 1976

5/724577

Ludwig Muhlfelder - Livingston NJ
John Edward Keigler - Princeton NJ
Brian Stewart - Slough, EN

RCA Corporation - New York NY

B64G 120

244165

Control of an active three-axis multiple-wheel attitude control system is provided with a bias momentum to achieve stiffness about the pitch axis. With this stiffness, the system overcomes the inherent inability of a zero momentum system employing the sun as its yaw reference to be provided with this yaw reference during the periods encompassing satellite high noon and midnight (i. e. , approximate coalignment of the sun line and the local vertical). The satellite attitude is normally maintained by angular momentum exchange developed by three or more reaction wheels positioned on the satellite. The control mechanism is arranged to provide net angular momentum in the pitch axis wheels to achieve the momentum bias or stiffness along the pitch axis, whereas the time average of the angular momentum about the roll and yaw axes is substantially zero.

40237524, May 17, 1977

Mar 13, 1975

5/558182

Josef Siegfried Pistiner - Lafayette Hill PA
Ludwig Muhlfelder - Livingston NJ
John Edward Keigler - Princeton NJ

RCA Corporation - New York NY

B64G 120

244169

Spacecraft nutation caused by applying propulsive forces to a spacecraft along an axis which does not pass through the spacecraft's center of gravity is eliminated by a signal responsive control system which operates the propulsive forces for a predetermined time period which corresponds to an integral number of nutation periods.

39776336, Aug 31, 1976

Jun 27, 1975

5/590900

John Edward Keigler - Princeton NJ
Ludwig Muhlfelder - Livingston NJ
Robert Joseph Cenker - Princeton NJ

RCA Corporation - New York NY

B64G 110

244169

A pair of reaction motors or thrusters connected to spin-stabilized spacecraft are used to reorient spacecraft attitude without affecting spacecraft velocity. The spacecraft reaction motors are arranged to produce a couple in response to an attitude reference signal without applying a spacecraft velocity changing force to the spin-stabilized spacecraft.

39400964, Feb 24, 1976

Nov 27, 1974

5/527836

John Edward Keigler - Princeton NJ
Ludwig Muhlfelder - Livingston NJ

RCA Corporation - New York NY

B64G 110

244165

The orientation maneuver of a bias momentum stabilized spacecraft is achieved without the need of attitude determination by sensors and gyros and the like and without the conventional spin-down and spin-up procedures. The spacecraft is provided with a momentum wheel mounted in perpendicular relation to the axis of maximum moment of inertia. The wheel is initially de-energized during the time the spacecraft is initially launched from the ground launching platform until it is desired to orient the spacecraft in the final orbit. The momentum wheel, when energized from zero rotation to increasing rotation speeds, causes the rotation of the spacecraft from spinning about the maximum moment of inertia axis to an axis parallel to the momentum wheel axis with the final convergence of the wheel axis to the momentum vector being effected by energy dissipation in a nutation damper.

46181121, Oct 21, 1986

Apr 15, 1983

6/485294

John E. Keigler - Princeton NJ

RCA Corporation - Princeton NJ

B64G 110
B64G 128

244158R

An improved system and method of ejecting a spacecraft from a shuttle or orbiter type craft in space includes a momentum wheel on the spacecraft that has a spin axis parallel to the ejection direction, spinning-up this momentum wheel prior to ejection and after ejection de-spinning this wheel whereby the whole spacecraft spins without the need of a spin table on the shuttle or orbiter craft.