Deployable Structural Booms for Large Deployable Solar Arrays

The development of a new generation of large, high power deployable solar arrays has been identified as the most significant challenge facing the development of solar electric propulsion (SEP) systems. In response, innovative solar array structural concepts have been proposed including flexible thin-film solar arrays which roll like a carpet for stowage. These systems are simple and reliable while also exhibiting high performance. Rollable solar arrays have not yet reached a high enough technology readiness level (TRL) to be utilized as the primary solar array in a high-stakes mission. The TRL of the current rollable solar array systems is hindered by their reliance on a particular manifestation of deployable slit-tubes which utilizes an open and unsupported slit and high-performance fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials. The FRP slit tubes are high performance and ideally suited to the ROSA system, but do not have sufficient test-heritage or widely accepted engineering tools to enable reliable and efficient structural predictions such as buckling strength or design optimization studies. A slit-tube optimization loop including comprehensive testing and analysis as well as the evaluation of novel design features and manufacturing methods is proposed to improve roll out solar array technologies being considered for SEP. The proposed technology will result in a library of slit-tube test data with analytical correlation, will increase the deployed strength over the state of the art by 4X and increase the state of the art TRL.

The value proposition for the proposed technology is to enable the next-generation of space deployable structures with considerably higher performance (e.g., reduced mass, increased mechanical properties, increased packaging efficiency and increased scale-ability) at reduced system complexity and cost. As the technology proposed herein is largely focused on the development of fundamental deployable structural elements (i.e., as opposed to a specific system), the proposed technology has broad applicability within the space deployables market. More specific, the proposed technology could serve as the primary structural elements for a broad array of space deployable structural systems including booms, solar arrays, sun shields, solar sails and antenna systems among several others. As a result, successfully maturing the proposed technology to spaceflight qualification would have a cascading effect on future space exploration and communication applications, most notably by reducing the cost of future spacecraft systems (by greatly simplifying these systems while also reducing mass) and ultimately improving access to space.

Our focus is on those markets where specific technology advancements would have strong revenue growth potential. For example, Roccor has identified two markets where advancements in reconfigurable/deployable structures could have considerable impact: a) portable and man-packable deployable antennas for military ground troops and b) deployable structures for communication satellites and space exploration vehicles.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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