High-Strain Composite Deployable Radiators for CubeSats

In response to NASA's need for compact, lightweight and efficient, low-cost deployable radiators for CubeSats, Roccor proposes to develop a high-strain laminate composite deployable radiator capable of dissipating over 50-watts of thermal energy. The proposed design leverages Roccor's experience in high-strain composite deployable structures and thermal management products for CubeSat and SmallSat applications. While solar arrays and instrument capabilities in CubeSat applications keep growing, the limited radiator surface results in a thermal bottleneck that limits the actual use of science or communication instruments. State-of-the-art deployable radiators use multiple rigid panels connected by a flexible hinge, replicating designs used in large space structures. However, the miniaturization of such designs have proven incapable of meeting the tight mass and volume constraints of CubeSat applications. Roccor proposes to utilize a novel packaging of large surface areas, made of highly conductive materials, and with enough strain energy to deploy passively in a radial arrangement.