# How Satellite Swarms Keep Their Solar Panels and Antennas Pointed Correctly > A system for managing large satellite arrays in orbit that balances the need to point solar panels at the sun and antennas at the Earth while keeping the structure stable. - **Patent:** US 11623768 - **Original title:** System for tracking solar energy - **Owner:** AST and Science LLC - **Granted:** 2023 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 1 - **Field:** telecommunications, aerospace, mechanical ## What it does This patent describes a way to control a large, connected group of satellites in space that act as a single, giant antenna. Because these satellites are linked, they must constantly adjust their position to keep their solar panels facing the sun for power and their antennas facing the Earth for communication. The system uses a central computer to calculate the perfect angle for the entire array. It then uses actuators—like spinning wheels or magnets—to move the array while ensuring that the forces acting on it, such as gravity pulling on different parts of the structure, are perfectly balanced so the array doesn't spin out of control. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover individual, standalone satellites that are not mechanically coupled into a phased array. - Does not cover systems that rely solely on ground-based control without an onboard processing device for orientation. - Does not cover antenna systems that do not simultaneously optimize for both solar exposure and Earth-facing orientation. ## The clever bit The system uses the momentum of the satellite's own internal spinning wheels to create a gyroscopic effect that cancels out the natural twisting force (gravity gradient torque) caused by the Earth's gravity acting on a large, non-uniform object in orbit. ## Real-world examples 1. Large-scale satellite internet constellations 2. Space-based phased array communication platforms 3. Modular satellite swarms in Low Earth Orbit ## Why it matters As companies launch massive constellations of satellites to provide global internet, managing the physical stability of these large structures becomes a major engineering hurdle. This patent addresses the specific problem of 'torque equilibrium,' which prevents these large, flat arrays from tumbling due to the uneven pull of Earth's gravity, a critical requirement for maintaining high-speed data links. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Satellite Swarms Keep Their Solar Panels and Antennas Pointed Correctly cover? A system for managing large satellite arrays in orbit that balances the need to point solar panels at the sun and antennas at the Earth while keeping the structure stable. ### Who owns patent US 11623768? AST and Science LLC owns this patent, granted in 2023. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on April 11, 2043, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 11623768 cited by? This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? As companies launch massive constellations of satellites to provide global internet, managing the physical stability of these large structures becomes a major engineering hurdle. This patent addresses the specific problem of 'torque equilibrium,' which prevents these large, flat arrays from tumbling due to the uneven pull of Earth's gravity, a critical requirement for maintaining high-speed data links. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover individual, standalone satellites that are not mechanically coupled into a phased array. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11623768/super-heavy-booster **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US11623768 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Solar Sails Use Moving Vanes to Steer in Space](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11905044/starlink-rv-roaming) — A solar sail design that uses multiple independently moving reflective vanes made of shape-memory materials to steer spacecraft using only the pressure of sunlight. - [How Satellites Use Split Thrusters to Reach Orbit Faster](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11753188/direct-to-cell-starlink) — A method for satellites with electric engines to manage their power usage by staggering when they fire thrusters, allowing them to reach their final orbit more quickly. - [How Spacecraft Servicing Pods Maneuver and Refuel Other Satellites](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11685554/starship-upper-stage) — A specialized robotic pod designed to dock with aging satellites and use a flexible, multi-jointed boom arm to adjust their orbit or velocity. - [How Space Taxis and Locomotives Move Satellites Between Orbits](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11492143/catching-super-heavy-booster) — A modular system using a small 'rendezvous' vehicle to collect satellites and a larger 'locomotive' vehicle to haul them to their final destination in space. - [How to Rent Out Space on Satellites for Different Customers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10981678/starlink-satellite-design) — A system for managing a fleet of satellites so multiple customers can share the same hardware to run their own specific space-based tasks.