Products: Deployable Structures

Two conflicting facts of spacecraft payload design create a need for large deployable structures:

1) The physical space within a launch vehicle is limited
2) The larger the aperture (information collecting area) of a spacecraft instrument, the higher the quality of the information provided.

This difficulty can be resolved with large structures that deploy automatically, enabling even small spacecraft to achieve great performance. Expanding from a compact package and powered by motors or stored energy, Starsys deployable products become large, high integrity structures. Unique characteristics of Starsys deployable structures include:

Very high compaction ratios: The compaction ratio of a deployable structure is defined as the size of the deployed structure versus the size of the stowed structure. With high compaction ratios, aperture sizes of 100 meters or more can be provided from midsized (<5000 Kg) spacecraft.

Thermal stability: The design and material choice of the structures provides systems with near zero Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE). The booms do not appreciably expand or contract with changes in temperature.

Multiple extension and retraction capability: Unlike traditional systems, Starsys structures have full mechanical integrity throughout the deployment process. A partially extended boom has the same structural integrity of a fully deployed boom. The boom becomes a “structural actuator” able to position, then reposition a payload to meet varying mission requirements, and can be fully retracted and stowed.

High length-to-mass ratios: Starsys deployable booms do not require a deployment canister, which means they have higher length-to-mass ratios as a result of lower mass “overhead”.

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