Novel Thesis Project Turned Patent Offers Satellite Solutions

Abstract

Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) alumnus Cmdr. William Crane along with NPS Professor Jim Newman, NPS Associate Professor Marcello Romano and NPS alumnus Paul Oppenheimer, an engineer with Naval Research Laboratories, were recently issued a patent for a novel release actuator, the Micro-coupling Active Release Mechanism, that may one day be used aboard satellites and other spacecraft.