Walter F Barker
Engineers at Bear Crk Dr, Denver, CO

4381092, Apr 26, 1983

May 1, 1981

6/259777

Walter F. Barker - Denver CO

Martin Marietta Corporation - Bethesda MD

B64G 164

244161

A boom formed by spring biased telescoping tubes is gimbaled at one end to a docking or probe space vehicle and at the opposite end to an electromagnet probe with the gimbaled joints spring biased to axially align the assembly. A light weight conical drogue fixed to the captive space vehicle mounts a passive iron target at the cone apex. The electromagnet guides itself into contact with the target during space coupling. The tubes telescope against springs which dampen impact along with columb dampening created by the telescoping tubes. A switch mounted to the electromagnet automatically energizes the retraction motor upon contact with the passive iron target. A retraction wire functions to initially pivot a plurality of radial rigidizing struts into contact with the circular edge of the light weight drogue cone to automatically align the spacecraft for pitch and yaw. An azimuth drive motor proximate to the inboard gimbal functions to rotate the end of the boom and thus the captive space vehicle about the axis of the boom for roll correction. Further retraction assists in hard-docking of the probe space vehicle to the captive space vehicle.