JPH0781699A - Spacecraft mooring equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To moor a spacecraft safely and easily by arranging a mooring flying device which the tip of the spacecraft can be mounted on and demounted from joining both together by a rope, and joining the spacecraft by winding the rope after the mooring flying device is fixed to mooring facilities. CONSTITUTION:When a spacecraft 10 approaches a mooring equipment 30 arranged on a space station or a space factory, a mooring flying device 20 of the spacecraft 10 is separated, and a propelling device 21 is operated by an operation device 14 in a remote control system, and is flown to a fixing device 31. At this time, while confirming an image of a television camera 22 arranged on the mooring flying device 20 by an image display device 13, a posture of the mooring flying device 20 is controlled by the propelling device 21 so as to capture the fixing device 31. When the mooring flying device 20 is housed in a tie-in part 32 of the fixing device 31, a pin of a fixing part 33 is inserted in and fixed to a receiving part 26 for fixation, and afterwards, a rope 11 is wound by a winding device 12, and the spececraft 10 is approached and rejoined to the mooring flying device 20, and mooring is completed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spacecraft mooring facility for mooring a spacecraft to a mooring facility.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a spacecraft arrives at a space station and moves personnel to the space station, it is necessary to moor the spacecraft at a mooring facility of the space station. Conventionally, as a mooring method for a spacecraft, as shown in FIG. 3, a hatch 2 is provided on the head of the spacecraft 10, and the spacecraft 10 is operated so that the hatch 2 is joined to the hatch joint 3 of the space station 1. However, a method has been proposed in which passengers transfer from the hatch 2 to the space station 1. The spacecraft 10 is moored with the hatch 2 joined to the hatch joint 3.

[0003]

As described above, the spacecraft 1
In order to join the hatch joint portion 3 of the space station 1 to the hatch 2 of 0, the pilot needs to control the attitude of the entire spacecraft 10 and dock it, which requires a high degree of control technology.
If the maneuvering is mistaken during docking, the spacecraft 10 and the space station 1 may come into contact with each other, causing damage to both.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a safe spacecraft mooring facility that facilitates mooring of a spacecraft and does not have a risk of contact with a space station during mooring. And

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a spacecraft mooring facility for mooring a spacecraft to a mooring facility, the spacecraft mooring facility comprising: a fixing device provided in the mooring facility; A mooring flight device that is detachably connected to the tip of the ship and flies from the spacecraft to a mooring facility during mooring and is fixed to the fixing device; and a rope that is provided in the spacecraft and that is connected to the mooring flight device. A winding device for unwinding, and an operating device provided in the spacecraft for guiding the mooring flight device to the fixed device, the mooring flight device being a propulsion device for flight and attitude control, A detecting device that detects the fixed device and transmits the fixed device to the operating device, and the operating device gives a control instruction to the propulsion device based on transmission data of the detecting device.

[0006]

[Operation] When the spacecraft approaches the mooring facility, the mooring flight device is disconnected and started. The mooring flight device detects the fixed device provided in the mooring facility by the detection device and transmits the data to the operation device. The operating device controls the propulsion device based on the detected data to guide the mooring flight device to the fixed device. The rope from the take-up device is connected to the mooring flight device, and the rope is unwound by the take-up device because it extends as the flight progresses. When the mooring flight device reaches the fixing device, it is fixed by the fixing device. In this state, the spacecraft is moored to the mooring facility. When the occupant moves from the spacecraft to the mooring facility, the rope is wound up by the winding device, and the spacecraft approaches the mooring flight device.
Finally, they are united again. In this state, a person can transfer to the mooring facility through the mooring flight device, and vice versa. As for the mooring state, the first state where the spacecraft is integrated with the mooring flight device fixed to the fixing device, and the second state where the spacecraft is separated from the mooring flight device fixed to the fixing device and connected by a rope There are two types of states.
When the spacecraft moves away from the mooring facility, the fixing device is released in the first state and then released, and the fixing device is released in the second state, and the mooring flight device is taken up by the take-up device and pulled. , There are two ways to merge with a spaceship and leave.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of mooring equipment and a mooring method. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hatch of a spacecraft and a passage for passenger movement of a mooring flight device. The spacecraft 10 is detachably equipped with a mooring flight device 20 at its tip. In the spacecraft 10, a winding device 12 for winding and unwinding the rope 11 connected to the mooring flight device 20, an image display device 13 for displaying an image of a television camera 22 provided on the mooring flight device 20,
An operation device 14 for operating the mooring flight device 20 by the image display device 13 is provided. Also moored flight device 2
There is a hatch 16 for the passenger passage in the tip bulkhead 15 that engages with 0.
Is provided. A communication cable 17 is integrally incorporated in the rope 11 so that an image signal from the television camera 22 and a control instruction from the operating device 14 are transmitted.

Mooring flight device 20 forms the nose of spacecraft 10 and is removably coupled to spacecraft 10. The propulsion device 21 is provided on the rear portion and the side portion on the rear side, and the operating device 1
Flight and attitude control are performed according to the control instruction of 4. A TV camera 22 is provided in the front part, images the fixed device 31 of the mooring facility 30, and transmits the image to the image display device 13.
A cylindrical tunnel adapter 23 is provided at the center and is used for moving an occupant. A hatch 24 that forms the nose of the mooring flight device 20 is provided at the tip of the tunnel adapter 23, and a hatch 25 is also provided at the rear end. A fixing receiving portion 26 is provided on the side portion and engages with a pin of the fixing portion 33 of the fixing device 31.

The mooring facility 30 is installed in a space station or a space factory, and is used for mooring the spacecraft 10 for getting on and off passengers, loading and unloading equipment. The fixing device 31 is composed of a connecting portion 32 formed of a conical concave portion that is fitted to the tip portion of the mooring flight device 20, and a fixing portion 33 that inserts and fixes a pin into the fixing receiving portion 26. Mating department 3
A tunnel 34 is provided at the tip of the mooring flight device 2.
It is connected to the tunnel adapter 23 of 0 to form a passage.
A hatch 35 is provided in the tunnel 34, and the mooring flight device 2 is used.
It is opened when 0 is fixed.

Next, the operation will be described. Mooring equipment 30
As shown in FIG. 1A, in the spacecraft 10, the mooring flight device 20 is separated, and the operation device 14 controls the propulsion device 21 to fly toward the fixed device 31. The attitude of the mooring flight device 20 is controlled by the propulsion device 21 so that the television camera 22 provided in the mooring flight device 20 catches the fixing device 31, and the image display device 1 is directed toward the fixing device 31.
While checking the fixing device 31 at 3, the mooring flight device 20 is guided by the operating device 14. In this case, the spacecraft 10 is stopped, and the rope is unwound from the winding device 12 according to the flight distance of the mooring flight device 20.

Next, as shown in (b), the mooring flight device 20.
However, when it is housed in the attaching portion 32 of the fixing device 31, the fixing portion 33
Is inserted into the fixing receiving portion 26 and fixed. Next, the winding device 12 performs winding, the spacecraft 10 is brought closer to the mooring flight device 20, and the spacecraft 10 is coupled again as shown in (c).

When the connection is completed, the tip partition wall 1 of the spacecraft 10
5, hatches 24, 25 provided before and after the tunnel adapter 23 of the mooring flight device 20, and a hatch 3 provided in the tunnel 34 of the mooring facility 30.
5 is opened, crew members disembark or board, equipment and equipment are loaded and unloaded. Figure 2 shows the hatch 1 of the spacecraft 10.
6 shows a state in which the hatch 24 at the tip of the mooring flight device 20 and the television camera 22 are arranged.

The spacecraft 10 may be separated from the mooring flight device 10 again as shown in FIG. 1 (b) and moored by the rope 11 or may be moored in the state shown in (c).

Although the television camera 22 is used as the detection device, a distance sensor for detecting the distance between the fixed device 31 and the mooring flight device 10 may be further provided. Further, although the communication between the spacecraft 10 and the mooring flight device 20 is performed by the communication cable incorporated in the rope 11, wireless communication may be performed by providing an antenna or the like. A monitor television or the like is used as the image display device 13, and a joystick or the like is used as the operation device 14.

[0015]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a mooring flight device in which the tip of a spacecraft is detachable, connects both with a rope, and fixes the mooring flight device to a mooring facility. Since the rope is wound up and connected to the spacecraft, the spacecraft does not come into contact with the holding facility at the time of mooring and can be moored safely and easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention and an operation during mooring.

FIG. 2 is a view showing hatches of a spaceship and an occupant movement passage of a mooring flight device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conventional mooring method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Spacecraft 11 Rope 12 Winding device 13 Image display device 14 Operating device 15 Tip bulkhead 16, 24, 25, 35 Hatch 17 Communication cable 20 Mooring flight device 21 Propulsion device 22 Television camera (detection device) 23 Tunnel adapter 26 For fixing Receiving part 30 Mooring facility 31 Fixing device 32 Connecting part 33 Fixing part 34 Tunnel

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A spacecraft mooring facility for mooring a spacecraft to a mooring facility, wherein the spacecraft mooring facility is a fixing device provided in the mooring facility, and is detachably connected to the tip of the spacecraft. When a spacecraft flies to a mooring facility from a spacecraft and is fixed to the fixing device, a winding device that is provided in the spacecraft, and that winds and unwinds a rope that is coupled to the mooring flight device, An operating device provided in the spacecraft for guiding the mooring flight device to the fixing device; the mooring flight device detecting the fixing device and a propulsion device for flight and attitude control; and the operating device. And a detection device for transmitting to, the operation device, based on the transmission data of the detection device,
Spacecraft mooring facility characterized by giving a control instruction to the propulsion device.