DSS'S INNOVATIVE ELASTIC DEPLOYABLE COMPOSITE TUBULAR ROLL-OUT BOOM WILL PROVIDE REVOLUTIONARY PERFORMANCE…

Public award description

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.