Roger A Wagner, 536753 Merwin Rd, Columbus, OH 43235

4290570, Sep 22, 1981

Jun 20, 1979

6/050256

John V. Smolik - Granada Hills CA
Ronald V. Swanson - San Pedro CA
Charles P. Rubin - Santa Monica CA
James C. Blaschke - Huntington Beach CA
Roger J. Wagner - Northridge CA

Hughes Aircraft Company - Culver City CA

B64G 122
B64G 114

244158R

A spacecraft specifically adapted for launch from the space shuttle by means of a cradle having locking and ejection mechanisms mounted therein. The cradle fastens into the payload bay of the space shuttle and returns therewith for reuse in subsequent launches. The spacecraft mounts at three points to the cradle, and the cradle mounts at three points to the shuttle such that a plane through the attachment points passes through the roll axis of the spacecraft at approximately the center of mass thereof. The cradle utilizes the truss structure of the spacecraft to produce the required stiffness by providing a structural tie between the two ends and the bottom of the cradle. At launch, the spacecraft is ejected with both linear and angular momentum, the spin providing gyroscopic stability. The locking mechanisms in the cradle can be remotely controlled to relock the spacecraft to the cradle in the event of an unsuccessful deployment attempt. The spacecraft includes a safety circuit employing acceleration sensing switches which sense spin-up of the spacecraft and prevent premature ignition of the perigee boost motor.