Deployable Articulating Array for Nanosatellites

The proposed innovation is targeted at inexpensive and operationally responsive nanosatellite platforms with a total stowed volume of 32cm x 20cm x 20cm or less. Such technologies currently suffer from limited functionality due to undesirable power constraints. The proposed innovation is an articulating deployable nanosatellite array. When used as a solar array, the structural innovation allows an order of magnitude increase in power generation over the state of the art from 5 to 50 Watts. The articulating array provides two problem-solving characteristics. 1) It allows a large area of arrays to be stowed into a thin and unobtrusive volume surrounding the spacecraft bus. 2) Using a novel solid-state (non-motorized) actuator, it articulates the array about a single axis. The articulation is provided by a simple and energy efficient solid-state (i.e. no motors) actuation mechanism. This allows the spacecraft configuration to be optimized for two or more simultaneous tasks. For example, an RF antenna rigidly attached to the spacecraft bus could be maintained in a nadir pointing configuration while the solar arrays are maintained in a solar pointing configuration by the proposed articulating deployable array structure.