US-12618652-B2 - Rocket camera system and method with rocket and camera dispenser

Abstract

Systems and methods for photography of a spacecraft during space flight are provided. An autonomous deployable camera (ADC) is configured to capture images and video of a portion of a rocket, such as a crew capsule, as it flies in space with the Earth's horizon in the background and astronauts within the crew capsule visible and recognizable through windows of the crew capsule. The ADC, being reusable, is configured to land on the ground independent of landings or flight trajectories of the crew capsule or other parts of a rocket. The ADC includes a parachute to slow the descent of the ADC and tracking hardware to allow the ADC to be relatively easily recovered on the ground. After recovery, images are downloadable from the ADC.

Inventors

• Edward Shawn Schatzman

Assignees

• Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20231205

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of operating a camera of a rocket system that includes a booster portion and a capsule portion, the method comprising: prior to, upon, or after separation between the booster portion and the capsule portion, ejecting the camera from a camera dispenser attached to the booster portion, wherein the ejecting imparts to the camera a speed and a trajectory that are substantially equal to a speed and trajectory of the capsule portion; and operating the camera to capture video or images of the capsule portion.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the camera to capture video or images of the capsule portion is performed at an elevation at or above the Karman Line.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the camera and the capsule portion reach apogee at substantially the same time.
4. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein operating the camera to capture video or images of the capsule portion is performed during the apogee.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after operating the camera to capture video or images of the capsule portion, retrieving the camera from Earth's surface.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, after the ejecting, a separation between the camera and the capsule portion continuously increases during flight.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ejecting imparts to the camera no rotational motion.
8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the camera is a 360-degree camera.
9. 9 . A rocket-camera system, the system comprising: a rocket including a booster portion and a capsule portion, the booster portion and the capsule portion configured to separate during a separation stage of flight of the rocket; and a camera dispenser attached to the booster portion and configured to retain a camera until the camera dispenser ejects the camera upon or after the separation stage.
10. 10 . The rocket-camera system of claim 9 , wherein the camera dispenser is con-figured to eject the camera with a speed and a trajectory that are substantially equal to a speed and trajectory of either the capsule or booster portion after the separation stage.
11. 11 . The rocket-camera system of claim 9 , wherein the camera is configured to capture video or images of the capsule portion at an elevation at or above the Karman Line.
12. 12 . The rocket-camera system of claim 9 , wherein the camera and the capsule portion are configured to reach apogee at substantially the same time.
13. 13 . The rocket-camera system of claim 12 , wherein the camera is configured to capture video or images of the capsule or booster portion during the apogee.
14. 14 . The rocket-camera system of claim 9 , wherein the camera is configured to land on Earth's surface subsequent to being ejected from the camera dispenser.
15. 15 . A method of operating a rocket-camera system, the method comprising: prior to, during, or subsequent to a separation between a first portion and a second portion of a rocket, ejecting a camera from a camera dispenser attached to the first portion of the rocket, wherein the ejecting imparts to the camera a speed and a trajectory that are substantially equal to a speed and trajectory of the first portion or the second portion of the rocket; and using the camera to capture video or images of the first portion or the second portion of the rocket.
16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein operating the camera to capture video or images of the first portion or the second portion of the rocket includes being performed at an elevation at or above the Karman Line.
17. 17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the camera and the first portion or the second portion of the rocket reach apogee at substantially the same time.
18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein operating the camera to capture video or images of the first portion or the second portion of the rocket is performed during the apogee.
19. 19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein, after the ejecting, a separation between the camera and the first and the second portions of the rocket continuously increases during flight.
20. 20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ejecting imparts to the camera no rotational motion.

Description

BACKGROUND Photography of a spaceflight mission, during flight, is difficult for a number of reasons. For example, land-based cameras are far from the trajectory of a rocket, necessitating the use of large telephoto lenses to enable capture of images of a rocket launch and early flight. Such images will likely be at least somewhat distorted due to atmospheric refraction over relatively large optical distances. Moreover, as a rocket travels further into the upper atmosphere and beyond, land-based cameras, no matter the power of a telephoto lens, are not able to capture detailed images of the performance of the rocket system. Alternatively, cameras onboard the rocket may capture images from the perspective of various locations of the rocket. Such images, however, may have limited use in analyzing events such as stage or module separation and cannot capture videos or images of a spacecraft and/or astronauts from outside the spacecraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The disclosure will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying figures of embodiments of the disclosure. The figures are used to provide knowledge and understanding of embodiments of the disclosure and do not limit the scope of the disclosure to these specific embodiments. Furthermore, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. FIG. 1 is schematic view of a flight of a rocket and an autonomous deployable camera, according to some embodiments. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of an autonomous deployable camera, according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 is a schematic internal view of an autonomous deployable camera, according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 is a side view of a rocket-camera system during separation, according to some embodiments. FIGS. 5A and 5B are side views of a scissor-type camera dispenser, according to some embodiments. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of telemetry from a deployable camera, according to some embodiments. FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process of operating an autonomous deployable camera, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION This disclosure describes systems and methods for, among other things, photography of a spacecraft during space flight. For example, an autonomous deployable camera (ADC) may capture images (e.g., including video) of a portion of a rocket, such as a crew capsule, as it flies in space with the Earth's horizon in the background and astronauts within the crew capsule visible and recognizable through windows of the crew capsule. In addition to being useful for analysis of the crew capsule, such photography may have commercial value. An aspect of autonomy of the ADC is that captured images need not be telemetered to the ground or crew capsule and instead may be recovered after the ADC lands, as described below. Another aspect of autonomy is that the ADC may land on the ground (e.g., of Earth) independent of landings or flight trajectories of the crew capsule or other parts of a rocket. For example, the captured images may be recovered after the ADC lands on the ground or water independently of the landings or flight trajectories of the crew capsule or other parts of a launch vehicle. The ADC may include a parachute to slow the descent of the ADC. The ADC may also include tracking hardware to allow the ADC to be relatively easily recovered (e.g., found) on the ground. After recovery, images may be downloaded from the ADC. Still another aspect of autonomy of the ADC is that captured images may be relayed through a component of the launch vehicle, through another launched element, or through an already-present relay station. In some implementations, the positioning of the ADC relative to the crew capsule during flight above the Karman Line may be selected for providing optimal views of the crew capsule. For example, the “best” viewing of the crew capsule for capturing images or video may be when the ADC is about 0 to 10 feet above the base of the crew capsule. Also, the ADC being about 5 to 10 feet below the base of the crew capsule may be acceptable for radial distances greater than about 20 feet. A benefit of the ADC is that it may capture images or video of the crew capsule and the Earth below. As mentioned above, the images or video may include features in a background that includes Earth and may include astronauts' faces in the windows of the crew capsule during a period of microgravity. The crew capsule may be part of a rocket system that includes a booster portion configured to lift the crew capsule into lower Earth orbit, such as above the Karman Line, for example. In some implementations, the ADC may be released (e.g., ejected) from the booster portion at or after booster/crew capsule separation. Following release, the ADC may be configured to maintain a near neutral vertical separation rate from the crew capsule through at least crew capsule (and ADC) apogee. In some implementations, the ADC may begin to capture images or video of the