Patent ID: 7114684

Claim:
An apparatus for maneuvering an exit vehicle departing from a rotating non-terrestrial space vehicle, the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry, carried by the exit vehicle, for: (i) determining a composite spin axis of the rotating non-terrestrial space vehicle to define a plurality of spin axis planes that are perpendicular to the composite spin axis, wherein an exit flight path of the exit vehicle is defined in the plurality of spin axis planes; and (ii) determining a spin rate of the rotating non-terrestrial space vehicle about the composite spin axis; launch mechanism for: (iii) launching the exit vehicle from the rotating non-terrestrial space vehicle with a departure velocity, wherein the departure velocity includes a V S component defined in the plurality of spin axis planes; and thruster device for: (iv) applying a lateral thrust to the exit vehicle that is generally orthogonal to the V S component of departure velocity to provide a lateral acceleration, wherein the lateral acceleration is defined in the spin axis plane, and wherein the lateral acceleration provides a turn rate of the exit vehicle's V S component in the spin axis plane about the composite spin axis that is proportionate to the spin rate of the rotating non-terrestrial space vehicle.