Patent ID: 9469418
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: B32B,B64G

Claim Text:
1. A space vehicle configured to contain at least one of crew or payload, the space vehicle comprising: a first septumized composite sandwich panel that forms a first outer wall portion of the space vehicle; a second septumized composite sandwich panel that forms a second outer wall portion of the space vehicle, wherein each of the first and second septumized composite sandwich panels comprises a joint attaching the first septumized composite sandwich panel to the second septumized composite sandwich panel, wherein the outer face sheet and the first core portion of the first septumized composite sandwich panel define a first edge portion, and the inner face sheet, the second core portion and the intermediate sheet of the first septumized composite sandwich panel define a second edge portion offset from the first edge portion to form a first step, wherein the outer face sheet, the intermediate sheet, and the first core portion of the second septumized composite sandwich panel define a third edge portion, and the inner face sheet and the second core portion of the second septumized composite sandwich panel define a fourth edge portion offset from the third edge portion to form a second step, and wherein the first step faces the second step and the second edge portion is bonded to the third edge portion at the joint.