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EP-4680531-B1 - RESUPPLY SPACE STATION FOR RESUPPLYING A SPACECRAFT AND METHOD FOR RESUPPLYING A SPACECRAFT IN SPACE USING SAME

EP4680531B1EP 4680531 B1EP4680531 B1EP 4680531B1EP-4680531-B1

Inventors

  • MOULIN, JACQUES
  • DE DINECHIN, Frédérique
  • CHAPUY, Marc
  • DHIEUX, Emmanuel

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240422

Claims (16)

  1. A supply space station (10) for supplying with propellant(s) a spacecraft (50) comprising at least one tank (51), both in orbit around a celestial body, said supply space station (10) comprising a main body (11) carrying a first propulsion module (13), and comprising: - on said main body (11), at least one supply propellant reserve (16) connected to a fluidic supply circuit (17), - a flexible fluid pipe (18) connected at a first end (181) to the outlet of said fluidic supply circuit (17) and equipped at a second end (182) with a fluidic connector (19) for the fluid-tight connection of said flexible fluid pipe (18) to said tank (51) of the spacecraft (50), said flexible fluid pipe (18) being mobile in extension and torsion outside said main body (11) of the supply space station (10), - and a system for transferring fluid from said supply propellant reserve (16) to said tank (51) of the spacecraft (50), by said flexible fluid pipe (18), said supply space station (10) being characterized in that : - it comprises a nanosatellite (12) carrying said fluidic connector (19) equipping the second end (182) of the flexible fluid pipe (18), and comprising a second propulsion module (20) independent from said first propulsion module (13), a rendezvous sensor (34) and a reversible anchoring system (21) for reversibly anchoring to the spacecraft (50) in a determined position in which said fluidic connector (19) is capable of establishing a fluid-tight connection with said tank (51) of the spacecraft (50), - and said system for transferring fluid from said supply propellant reserve (16) to said tank (51) of the spacecraft (50), via said flexible fluid pipe (18), is operable when said nanosatellite (12) is anchored to said spacecraft (50) by said reversible anchoring system (21) and said fluidic connector (19) establishes a fluid-tight connection with said tank (51) of the spacecraft (50).
  2. The supply space station according to claim 1, comprising a telemetry line (27) and/or a remote control line (28) providing a communication link between said main body (11) and said nanosatellite (12), said nanosatellite (12) further comprising an interface (29) of communication with the spacecraft (50) for receiving representative data of the filling level of said tank (51) of the spacecraft (50).
  3. The supply space station according to claim 2, further comprising, in said main body (11), a module (22) for controlling the second propulsion module (20), the reversible anchoring system (21) and the fluidic connector (19), said control module (22) being programmed to transmit control signals according to the data provided by the rendezvous sensor (34) and the interface (29) of communication with said spacecraft (50).
  4. The supply space station according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said reversible anchoring system (21) and said fluidic connector (19) are configured such that the anchoring of said nanosatellite (12) to said spacecraft (50) also establishes the fluid-tight connection of said flexible fluid pipe (18) to said tank (51) of the spacecraft (50).
  5. The supply space station according to any of claims 1 to 4, comprising an electrical cable (30) providing an electrical power supply between said main body (11) and said nanosatellite (12).
  6. The supply space station according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said flexible fluid pipe (18), and where applicable said electrical cable (30), said telemetry line (27) and/or said remote control line (28), are contained in a flexible umbilical tube (26) attached at a first end to said main body (11) and at a second end to said nanosatellite (12).
  7. The supply space station according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said nanosatellite (12) and said main body (11) are equipped with cooperating docking means (35, 36) for reversibly docking said nanosatellite (12) to said main body (11).
  8. The supply space station according to any of claims 1 to 7, comprising a duct (31) for supplying said second propulsion module (20) of the nanosatellite (12) with propellant(s) from said main body (11), said nanosatellite (12) being devoid of a propellant tank.
  9. The supply space station according to any of claims 1 to 8, comprising a module (23) for managing the transfer of fluid from said propellant resupply store (16) to said tank (51) of the spacecraft (50), disposed in said main body (11).
  10. The supply space station according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein said fluid transfer system comprises a pump (24) for circulating fluid in said flexible fluid pipe (18).
  11. The supply space station according to any of claims 1 to 10, comprising a plurality of supply propellant reserves (16) carried by said main body (11).
  12. The supply space station according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising a plurality of nanosatellites (12) as defined in any one of claims 1 to 11, each being associated with a flexible fluid pipe (18) as defined in any one of claims 1 to 11, and, for each nanosatellite (12) / flexible fluid pipe (18) pair, a system for transferring fluid from a supply propellant reserve (16) carried by the main body (11) to the tank (51) of a spacecraft (50) via said flexible fluid pipe (18), operable when said nanosatellite (12) is anchored to said spacecraft (50) by said reversible anchoring system (21) and the fluidic connector (19) of said flexible fluid pipe (18) establishes a fluid-tight connection with the tank (51) of said spacecraft (50).
  13. An assembly comprising at least one supply space station (10) and a spacecraft (50) as defined in any of claims 1 to 12.
  14. A method for supplying a spacecraft (50) in orbit around a celestial body with propellant, by means of a supply space station (10) according to any of claims 1 to 12 positioned in said orbit in proximity to said spacecraft (50), said spacecraft (50) comprising at least one tank (51), said method comprising steps of: - where applicable, separating (42) the nanosatellite (12) from the main body (11) of the supply space station (10), - moving (43) the nanosatellite (12) toward the spacecraft (50), - rendezvous (44) between the nanosatellite (12) and the spacecraft (50), - anchoring (45) the nanosatellite (12) to the spacecraft (50), and establishing a fluid-tight connection between the fluidic connector (19) of the flexible fluid pipe (18) carried by the nanosatellite (12) and the tank (51) of the spacecraft (50), - transferring fluid (46) from the supply propellant reserve (16) of the main body (11) of the supply space station (10) to the tank (51) of the spacecraft (50), by the flexible fluid pipe (18), - and separating (47) the nanosatellite (12) and the spacecraft (50).
  15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said nanosatellite (12) is controlled by a control module (22) disposed in said main body (11 ) of the space station (10), control signals being successively determined and sent to said nanosatellite (12) by said control module (22) for carrying out the steps of moving (43), rendezvous (44), anchoring (45) to the spacecraft (50) and separating (47) from the spacecraft (50).
  16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the fluid transfer step (46) is controlled by a fluid transfer management module (23) disposed in the main body (11) of the supply space station (10).

Description

The present invention falls within the field of propellant supply for spacecraft in space. More specifically, the invention relates to a space refueling station for supplying propellant(s) to a spacecraft in orbit around a celestial body, as well as an assembly comprising such a space refueling station and such a spacecraft. The invention also relates to a method for refueling a spacecraft in orbit around a celestial body using such a space refueling station. STATE OF THE ART Spacecraft, such as artificial satellites in orbit or space transporters that may include a payload, have continuous operational needs for propellant(s) to power their propulsion systems, both for orbital transfers and for orbit-maintaining maneuvers, these needs being all the more important as the mass of the spacecraft is high. In order to ensure the refueling of spacecraft in space, it was proposed by prior art, illustrated for example by the document FR 2 511 970 to place into orbit, particularly into geostationary orbit, spacecraft known as "resupply vehicles," equipped with one or more propellant tanks. After rendezvous with the spacecraft to be resupplied, the resupply vehicle docks with it, proceeds with the refueling, that is to say the transfer of propellants from the resupply vehicle to the spacecraft being refueled, and then undocks. However, transferring propellants from a resupply spacecraft to a spacecraft to power the latter's propulsion systems can be very dangerous due to the corrosive and explosive nature of these substances. Furthermore, docking maneuvers between a resupply spacecraft and the spacecraft being resupplied can be difficult and require complex mechanical/dynamic calculations, especially given the significant mass of both the resupply spacecraft and the spacecraft being resupplied. Space resupplies are important. The document CN 115057003 describes a robotic satellite for refueling space vehicles in orbit, comprising two flexible arms for attaching to a space vehicle and refueling it. The present invention aims to address the safety problems associated with the refueling of spacecraft in space by space vehicles positioned in orbit, and to simplify the operations necessary for such refueling. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To this end, according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a space refueling station for supplying propellant(s) to a spacecraft comprising at least one tank, both in orbit around a celestial body, said space refueling station comprising a main body carrying a first propulsion module, and comprising: at the level of said main body, at least one reserve of refueling propellant connected to a fluidic refueling circuit, a flexible fluidic conduit connected at one end to the outlet of said refueling fluidic circuit and equipped at a second end with a fluidic connector for the sealed fluidic connection of said flexible fluidic conduit to said spacecraft tank, said flexible fluidic conduit being mobile in extension and torsion outside said main body of the refueling space station, a nanosatellite carrying said fluidic connector equipping the second end of the flexible fluidic conduit, and comprising a second propulsion module independent of said first propulsion module, a rendezvous sensor and a reversible anchoring system to the spacecraft in a determined position in which said fluidic connector is capable of establishing a leak-proof fluidic connection with said tank of the spacecraft, and a fluid transfer system from said refueling propellant reserve to said spacecraft tank, by said flexible fluidic conduit, operable when said nanosatellite is anchored to said spacecraft by said reversible anchoring system and said fluidic connector makes a sealed fluidic connection with said spacecraft tank. A second aspect of the invention is an assembly comprising at least one space refueling station and a spacecraft as defined according to the invention. A third aspect of the invention is a method for refueling a spacecraft in orbit around a celestial body with propellant(s), by means of a refueling space station according to the invention positioned in said orbit near the spacecraft, the spacecraft comprising at least one tank, this method comprising the steps of: If necessary, separation of the nanosatellite from the main body of the resupply space station, movement of the nanosatellite towards the spacecraft, rendezvous between the nanosatellite and the spacecraft, anchoring of the nanosatellite to the spacecraft, and watertight fluidic connection of the fluidic connector of the flexible fluidic pipeline carried by the nanosatellite to the spacecraft's tank, fluid transfer from the main body propellant reserve of the resupply space station to the spacecraft tank, via the flexible fluid line, and separation of the nanosatellite and the spacecraft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A first object of the invention is a space refueling station for supplying propellant(s) to a spacecraft, this space