IGF::OT::IGF MASS AND VOLUME EFFICIENT SOLAR ARRAYS ARE SOUGHT BY NASA, DOD AND COMMERCIAL SPACE TO ENABLE…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF MASS AND VOLUME EFFICIENT SOLAR ARRAYS ARE SOUGHT BY NASA, DOD AND COMMERCIAL SPACE TO ENABLE HIGH POWER MISSIONS FROM 20-30 KW UP TO 300 KW. FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE ARRAYS CAN HAVE HIGHER SPECIFIC POWER (W/KG) AND SPECIFIC VOLUME (KW/M3) THAN CONVENTIONAL ARRAYS. TYPICAL DESIGNS FOR FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE ARRAYS REQUIRE A STIFF BOOM MECHANISM TO DEPLOY THE ARRAY AND PROVIDE THE DEPLOYED STRUCTURE. GRAPHITE COMPOSITE SLIT-TUBE BOOMS ARE THERMALLY STABLE AND CAN ENABLE NEXT-GENERATION FLEXIBLE ARRAYS BY IMPROVING MASS, VOLUME, AND COST. CTD HAS DEVELOPED AND DEMONSTRATED A 5CM DIAMETER GRAPHITE COMPOSITE SLIT-TUBE BOOM AND CANISTER DESIGNED FOR A 23M TETHER-STIFFENED SOLAR ARRAY. THE STABLE TUBULAR EXTENDIBLE LOCK-OUT COMPOSITE (STELOC) BOOM PROPOSED HERE WILL FEATURE TWO INNOVATIONS TO THE COMPOSITE SLIT-TUBE DESIGN THAT ENHANCE STIFFNESS. SLIT-LOCK INTERLOCKS THE EDGES OF THE SLIT AND ROOT-LOCK ELIMINATES THE OPEN SECTION AT THE ROOT OF THE BOOM WHEN FULLY DEPLOYED. COMBINED, THESE INNOVATIONS ENABLE A 10CM STELOC BOOM THAT IS MUCH SIMPLER, LIGHTER, AND STIFFER THAN A 25CM DIAMETER COILABLE LONGERON BOOM. THIS PHASE I PROGRAM WILL DEMONSTRATE A FULL LENGTH, 10CM STELOC BOOM INCLUDING ALL INNOVATIVE FEATURES TO ENHANCE STIFFNESS. THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN THAT MEETS ALL BOOM REQUIREMENTS PROVIDED BY AN IDENTIFIED SPACECRAFT PRIME CONTRACTOR FOR THEIR FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE ARRAY.