Self-Locking Linear Actuator for Precision Deployment

Future Space-Based Laser (SBL) weapons and high-resolution imaging systems will incorporate large, deployable reflectors that must efficiently package for launch. However, the use of deployment mechanisms can severely affect the dimensional stability ofthese structures. Composite Technology Development, Inc. (CTD) proposes to develop and demonstrate an innovative, lightweight, high-precision, self-locking actuator for deployable optical systems, which incorporates CTD's Elastic Memory Composite (EMC)material. The key feature of the proposed concept is an EMC hinge/actuator, which is mechanically simple, highly reliable, and highly damped during actuation, to provide a high-precision, repeatable deployment motion and locking. All future deployableoptical systems for military, scientific, and commercial applications must meet similar and extremely stringent pointing accuracy and jitter requirements. Furthermore, the active alignment control systems for these optics must compensate for similardynamic phenomena such as nonlinear microdynamics. The proposed program addresses the shortcomings of current precision deployment mechanisms with an innovative high-precision, self-locking actuator incorporating a