6 Meter Antenna and Boom System for CubeSats

Heliospace Corporation proposes accelerated development of a modular CubeSat-scale, 6.5 mm free coil (FC) diameter, 6 m length passively deployed antenna and instrument boom system. While Heliospace has produced similar antennas up to 2.7 m deployed length, demonstrating feasibility beyond 3 m requires a focused research and development effort which, unless performed prior to and independently of mission formulation, limits the perceived suitability of the technology to scientific and other objectives. Heliospace and its partners have continued to develop a new type of BeCu helical element, whose production methods were successfully scaled down and achieved TRL 4 in Phase I. The elements are ready for application in a new CubeSat-class family of Heliospace’s SABER (Spiral Actuated Boom, Extended and Rigidized) products. Phase II intends to develop and qualify multiple configurations of this modular system for TRL 6. New and highly compact SABER root stabilizing mechanisms are the minimum required advancement for the next generation of antennas and CubeSat scale applications. New specialized tethers and payout systems including compact brakes and slip rings are required for instrumented boom applications. Proving the capability of new commercial partners to produce highly flexible tethers having embedded conductors and a means of supporting the deployment tensile loads for support of deployed sensors, is critical for instrumented booms. The technical innovations described will result in significant increase of achievable deployed length over previous CubeSat antenna and boom systems, improved accuracy, precision and repeatability of form and rigidity, and reduced disturbance of small-spacecraft dynamics during deployment. The innovations will also reduce the engineering time needed to adapt the system to specific applications and eliminate manufacturing time associated with iterative deployment testing and tuning necessary for currently bespoke solutions.

Space missions requiring high stowed-deployed ratio, low size, weight, power, and cost antennas or booms will benefit. The proposed system will double the lengths achieved to date and improve deployment properties, enabling their use as finely tuned monopole antennas, elements within antenna assemblies, or precision-length booms for sensors. The longer systems will allow any instrument suite which relies on establishing a known distance between sensors and other hardware to improve resolution and lower noise. The simple and compact nature of the proposed devices will enable better measurements by smaller, lower-cost spacecraft. CubeSat constellations may be major customers, where a low per-unit cost for a high-performance long boom can be achieved. Other missions ranging from Sounding Rockets to the Explorer program can also benefit, where mass savings and deployed lengths beyond the current SOA are desired. Strategic applications include space & earth environment monitoring networks, radio interferometry, communication nodes and navigation beacons, and synthetic aperture radar. The system can provide myriad technical solutions in applications such as: deployable broadband and tuned monopoles, dipoles, quadrupoles and Yagi; Langmuir probes and electrode booms; magnetometer booms and gravity gradient booms; membrane-tensioning applications such as deorbit devices, solar sails, thermal/light shades, composite antennas, and radar reflectors. With the heritage of similar Heliospace products, the Science Mission Directorate the Earth Science Division, Heliophysics Division, and Planetary Science Division are considered major customers. In the Space Operations Mission Directorate the Space Communications and Navigation Division may find LCRNS and LunaNet applications. Space Technology Mission Directorate Technology Maturation programs such as the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative and Technology Demonstration Mission will have a new TRL 6 deployable ready for infusion. Space environment data and prediction is increasingly important for commercial development and space situational awareness, near-earth and cislunar. Commercial or defense entities interested in the same types of field and particle data as the scientific community, or needing highly customizable antenna and boom solutions, would have access to a new class of product which overcomes the limited technical performance as well as the cost and manufacturability concerns of previous similar designs.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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