# US Department of Navy — Patents explained on PatentBrief

US Department of Navy has 2 landmark patents explained in plain English on PatentBrief.

- [How Spacecraft Calculate Maneuvers to Change Orbits Near Another Satellite](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9919813/fairing-recovery-system) — granted 2018
  A mathematical method for onboard computers to calculate the precise engine burns needed for one satellite to change its orbital plane while moving relative to another satellite.
- [How to Calculate Distance to a Radio Signal Using Two Antennas](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3789410/gps-timation-navigation) — granted 1974
  A 1970s Navy system that calculates the distance to a radio-emitting target by measuring the tiny time and phase differences between signals arriving at two separate antennas.

**Full profile:** https://patentbrief.org/company/us-department-of-navy

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Plain-English explanations of US patents._