Elastic Deployable Composite Tubular Roll-Out Boom

DSS's innovative Elastic Deployable Composite Tubular Roll-Out Boom will provide revolutionary performance when compared to conventional state-of-the-art technologies, and will significantly enhance operations and capability for future NASA missions. The proposed Roll-Out Boom is strong, stiff, lightweight, thin, scalable, compactly-stowed, and fabricated from ultra-lightweight composite materials. The Roll-Out Boom can be used as a self-deploying antenna, electric field antenna, linear actuator, grapple arm, gravity gradient boom, camera support, inspection aid, or as an actuator/structure for deploying payloads, antennas, solar arrays, instrument benches, solar sails, and sunshades. The Roll-Out boom is a very simple concept that integrates an innovative deployment synchronization system to provide controlled, reliable and repeatable deployments, to produce deployments always in a predictable/known direction. The Roll-Out Boom provides exceptional structural performance in a small lightweight package, and is a direct replacement to current state-of-the-art systems. Boom sizes envisioned can be from 0.5-inch to 12-inches in diameter (or greater), with lengths from 1-m to 50-m long (or longer). The significance of the proposed technology and program will enable future NASA and non-NASA missions by providing a revolutionary and positive performance impact to the end-user, and allow for the rapid insertion of this mission-enabling technology for future applications.

The proposed Roll-Out Boom is also widely applicable to non-NASA missions, including DoD and commercial missions, as a direct replacement for current state-of-the-art. The Roll-Out Boom can be used as a self-deploying antenna, electric field antenna, linear actuator, grapple arm, gravity gradient boom, camera support, inspection aid, or as an actuator/structure for deploying payloads, antennas, solar arrays, instrument benches, solar sails, and sunshades. The technology is ideal for making large antennas and arrays such as dipoles, monopoles, and Yagi antenna shapes. Applicable missions include: LEO DoD surveillance, reconnaissance, communications and other critical payload/equipment satellites, LEO commercial mapping and critical payload/equipment satellites, MEO DoD satellites, GEO commercial communications and critical payload/equipment satellites, and GEO DoD communications and payload/equipment satellites. Non-space applications include fixed and mobile ground deployable structures for antennas and other payloads.

The proposed DSS Roll-Out Boom is widely applicable to future NASA missions as a direct replacement for existing technologies, and will provide the end-user with an enabling technology that reliable deploys and is strong, stiff, lightweight, thin, compactly-stowed, and fabricated from ultra-lightweight composite materials. The Roll-Out Boom can be used as a self-deploying antenna, electric field antenna, linear actuator, grapple arm, gravity gradient boom, camera support, inspection aid, or as an actuator/structure for deploying payloads, antennas, solar arrays, instrument benches, solar sails, and sunshades. The technology is ideal for making large antennas and arrays such as dipoles, monopoles, and Yagi antenna shapes. Boom sizes envisioned can be from 0.5-inch to 12-inches in diameter (or greater), with lengths from 1-m to 50-m long (or longer). DSS has received strong industry advocacy for the proposed SBIR effort and has received letters of advocacy and support to provide a conduit for commercial technology infusion.

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.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.