Multifunctional Structural Electronics Packaging

This Phase I project is for the development of a concept that integrates a printed circuit board with a high stiffness, high thermal conductivity composite material structure to achieve a multifunctional structural electronics packaging product for spacecraft application. The project involves printed circuit board packaging technology combined with innovative carbon-carbon composites processing technology. In the Phase I project a design of a multifunctional structural-electronics product will be developed and subelements (6" x 6") will be fabricated and tested. Measurement of stiffness, coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity and electrical continuity will be made. The data will be used to develop a preliminary design of a spacecraft structural panel with integral electronics. This project will be coordinated with the Phillips Lab VTE and VTS divisions and it will be directed at meeting small spacecraft packaging needs as determined by the Phillips Lab Space Experiments Directorate. Martin Marietta, an eventual user of the technology, will provide support to AMT by providing spacecraft component design requirements and by sharing results of their related on-going VTS project.