Engineered spacecraft deployables influenced by nature

David Pohl; W. D. Wolpert

doi:10.1117/12.823960

10 September 2009 Engineered spacecraft deployables influenced by nature

David Pohl, W. D. Wolpert

Proceedings Volume 7424, Advances in Optomechanics; 742408 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.823960
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2009, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Northrop Grumman has been a leader in the space industry for over 50 years, and in fact was the first in the industry to produce a contractor-built spacecraft. Since the dawn of the Space Age and that Pioneer-1 spacecraft, every sub-system that makes up a spacecraft has grown in capability. One of the most visible changes to a spacecraft that enables these enhanced capabilities is the variety of appendages called deployable systems. These systems include solar arrays, antenna reflectors, telescopes and a current design for a tennis court sized sunshield. While the end product may look very different and perform different functions, all deployable systems share certain common attributes. Among these are: a latch mechanism for the deployable restraining it to the spacecraft for launch, an unlatching or release mechanism once orbit is achieved, an energy storage device or driving mechanism for deployment and a re-latching, or sometimes a repositioning device for orientation of the system during the mission. This paper describes these space-based systems and draws some comparisons with various natural analogs. While it may not be the case that the aerospace engineer is attempting to duplicate natural systems, it is almost certain that spacecraft deployable systems have been influenced by nature.

Citation Download Citation

David Pohl and W. D. Wolpert "Engineered spacecraft deployables influenced by nature", Proc. SPIE 7424, Advances in Optomechanics, 742408 (10 September 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.823960

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