Appeal No. 97-1119
Application 08/285,219
Piening in col. 4, lines 26-42 notes that the basis for
his finding comes from observing spacecraft in general
being moved by solar pressure. Consequently it would
appear clear to one of ordinary skill in the art that
the use of solar sails is only a more efficient use of
the solar pressure and the principles expressed by
Piening can be applied to any spacecraft surface
whether it is a solar sail or merely a cylindrical
surface of a satellite. The principles are very
fundamental and are merely the application of vectored
forces which Piening has observed and therefore It
[sic] would have been obvious to one having ordinary
skill in the art at the time the invention was made to
apply the principles expressed by Piening to any shaped
satellite including cylindrical. Consequently the
moving of the surface of the satellite in numerous
directions to take advantage of the solar pressure like
that of the wind on a sailboat or an aircraft are
obvious steps. Piening teaches moving his solar
surfaces in any direction to take advantage of the
solar pressure to take advantage of [sic] thereof and
to consequently reorient the satellite.
We do not consider this rejection to be well taken. While
Piening recognizes, in the part of col. 4 cited by the examiner,
that solar radiation pressure can "disturb the orbit" of
spacecraft, particularly of balloon satellites, Piening does not
disclose using this pressure on the spacecraft per se to produce
thrust, but discloses the use of movable panels and vanes upon
which the solar radiation can exert a force to rotate the
satellite about its axes. The reference does not teach, nor do
we consider that it would suggest to one of ordinary skill in the
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