Elastic-Memory Composite Antenna Booms for SmallSats

Composite Technology Development, Inc. (CTD) seeks to advance the state of art with a novel deployable low-frequency antenna technology for SmallSats comprised of elastic memory composite antenna booms and deployer mechanisms. These booms incorporate a shape memory polymer matrix into a fiber-reinforced composite substrate with an outer metallization layer for RF performance. The elastic memory composite technology enables these antenna elements to be heated, rolled, and cooled to lock them into a stowed shape. They can be deployed smoothly with heat without inducing shock and without the need of for actuators or deployment motors. The long-length, low-frequency antenna elements can be packaged into exceedingly small stowed volumes, with simplified mechanisms, lower parts count, and lower mass than current state of the art boom and deployer systems.The primary technical objectives of the proposed effort are as follows:Develop a series of system requirements for the development effortDemonstrate feasibility of the elastic memory composite antenna boom concept through a comprehensive design, analysis, and prototyping effortDesign and build a prototype metalized elastic memory composite antenna boomDesign and build a prototype elastic memory composite boom deployerPerform deployment testing of a breadboard prototype at the end of Phase I