Precision Mobile-Joint and Latching Technologies for Deployable Optical Systems

Planned future NASA missions in astrophysics will push the state of the art in current opto-mechanical technologies. Specifically, precision deployable structures will be required to facilitate large aperture deployable optical telescopes given current and foreseeable payload volumes. Fundamental to these deployable structures are enabling components that are capable of precise, repeatable deployments and that are stable in the orbital environment. MMA Design LLC proposes to advance the state of the art in highly reliable and cost effective deployable optical systems by developing precision mobile-joint and latching technologies that are integral to a deployable optical telescope. This proposal focuses on research and development of innovative precision deployment technologies that initially target a 6U CubeSat to ESPA-class optical platform but that are highly scalable to 16 meter class or larger optical systems. The primary innovations in the development of the proposed precision deployable technologies include: ? Scalable System Design – The deployable system and components can be proportionally scaled to accommodate larger aperture systems. ? Repeatable Multiple Degree-of-Freedom Joints – Use of flexible elements and preloading of movable parts enables deployment repeatability and precision. ? High Performance at lower cost – The proposed approach utilizes innovative concepts for latching and joint mobility that will yield significant improvements in performance at lower system cost.

Investments are required now in the development of next generation large deployable telescopes that are critical to meeting the future needs of enhanced NASA missions, delivering higher performance at lower cost. Potential future NASA applications in astrophysics that can benefit from the proposed development include Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM), Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), and New Worlds science missions. NASA is seeking cost-effective high-performance advanced space telescopes for astrophysics and Earth science to enable future telescopes and observatories collecting electromagnetic bands, ranging from UV to millimeter waves, and also include gravity waves. Astrophysics applications require large aperture lightweight highly reflecting mirrors and deployable large structures like the proposed deployable telescope system. The proposed telescope system also includes a deployable sunshade for passive thermal control. Planned future NASA Missions in astrophysics, such as WFIRST and the New Worlds Technology Development Program will push the state of the art in current optomechanical technologies. The proposed technologies will support mission concepts for New Worlds science requiring 16 m class or greater, cost-effective telescope observatories. In addition, ground based telescopes require similar technology development to that being proposed.

Future DoD missions employing Earth-orbiting observation spacecraft and exploration spacecraft that require high reliability, significantly lower mass and volume, higher mass specific power, and improved efficiency over the current state of practice can leverage the next generation performance enhancements of MMA's proposed deployable sunshade systems while lowering total system costs. The efficient packaging maximizes the performance for next generation mission payloads. DoD missions are currently being designed for a wide spectrum of space missions including space weather experiments, earth observation and imaging platforms, advanced communications technologies, and for rapidly developing and testing emerging technologies and more economical deployment methods which may be useful in future space missions. The MMA team, the proposed system and other MMA deployables technology innovations align well with this responsive environment and the goals of future DoD missions. These future opportunities seek higher performance in an efficient lower cost package with a modular and flexible architecture to support multiple missions and rapid fielding of an asset. MMA Design has proposed our technologies in these areas to meet these challenging requirements.

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