SELF-CONTAINED DEPLOYABLE SERPENTINE TRUSS (SCDST) FOR PRELAUNCH ACCESS OF SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER PAYLOADS

THE SELF-CONTAINED DEPLOYABLE SEPENTINE TRUSS (SCDST) IS AN ARTICULATED, MODULAR TRUSS STRUCTURE AND CONTROL SYSTEM CAPABLE OF SNAKE-LIKE CURVATURE, WHICH IS DEPLOYED FROM A RELOCATABLE TUBE, AND SNAKES ALONG A DESIRED TRAJECTORY. THE SYSTEM IS CONTROLLED BY AN ALGORITHM OF LINEAR COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY. THE SCDST SYSTEM IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ALLOW INSPECTION AND LIGHT TASKS TO BE PERFORMED ON PAYLOADS IN THE CARGO BAY OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER WHILE ON THE LAUNCH PAD. THE PROPOSED SCDSTIS A COST, TIME AND SAFETY EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO THE PRESENT PROCEDURE IN WHICH TECHNICIANS ERECT TEMPORARY SCAFFOLDING. OTHER APPLICATIONS OF THE SCDST SYSTEM ARE INSPECTION AND LIGHT TASKS PERFORMED IN CRAMPED OR UNINHABITABLE QUARTERS. THE PHASE I EFFORT RESULTS IN A LAYOUT OF THE MECHANICAL SYSTEM AND NECESSARY CONTROL ALGORITHMS. THE PHASE II EFFORTS RESULTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WORKING PROTOTYPE SCDST SYSTEM.