3-Dimensional Deployable Articulated Boom System

Deployable booms are critical in enhancing the ability of space-borne surveillance systems to gather information by separating instruments from the spacecraft or by increasing antenna apertures to many times the size of the spacecraft. Examples of currently envisioned missions exist in both the commercial and military worlds. Deployable booms act as both deployment linear actuators to form the structure and, once fully extended, form the deployed structure. The current state of technology is limited to one-dimensional (1-D) deployable structures such as the boom. Stowed envelope is at a premium for any launch vehicle and even a highly efficient 1-D compaction ratio can still exhibit a relatively large cross-sectional area when stowed. Furthermore, very large scale structures typically have been envisioned as requiring space-based assembly which is both expensive and dangerous. By reducing the stowed cross-section of the structure, three-dimensional (3-D) deployable structures allow spacecraft to deploy structures which otherwise would not fit within the launch envelope of the spacecraft.