Shape Memory Polymer Self-Deploying Membrane Reflectors

Cornerstone Research Group, Inc., proposes to develop and demonstrate technologies enabling self-deploying, self-supporting membrane mirrors for large, lightweight space-based reflector systems. This program will design and experimentally characterizemultiple candidate formulations to develop space-qualifiable Shape Memory Polymer (SMP) materials tailored for this application. It will demonstrate feasibility of a novel on-orbit mirror self-deployment concept based on SMPs' unique functionalproperties. CRG's high-performance SMP materials provide the means to create very large (>20 m), lightweight (<0.5 kg/sq m areal density) membrane mirrors whose material inherently self-deploys to the optical figure on orbit. This program will alsodemonstrate fabrication technologies for self-deploying mirrors composed of SMP membranes and SMP support structures. This suite of new technologies will address the drawbacks of conventional materials and current fabrication processes for space-basedmirrors. Operational Benefits: (1) Large, lightweight space-based mirrors fabricated with SMP membranes and structures will stow in a highly compact pre-launch configuration and then self-deploy on orbit to the optical figure. (2) Self-deploying,self-supporting SMP membranes will enable larger space mirrors by both reducing the areal density of the mirror itself (compared with conventional mirrors) and reducing the mass of support structure and mechanisms that become non-performing