Innovative Space Materials and Structures

"The objective of the proposed Phase 1 R&D project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a new structural architecture for deployable space structures: Monolithic Elastically Deployable Lattice Structures (MEDLS). MEDLS has the potential to offerorder-of-magnitude reductions in structural mass over current deployable technologies. The architecture incorporates two key features. First, higher than state-of-the-art orders of structural hierarchy are proposed. Preliminary analyses have shown thathighly hierarchical structures are extremely efficient for a wide range of applications. Second, elastic strain energy deployment is used to eliminate the parasitic mass and complexity associated with other deployable systems (such as articulated,inflatable and shape memory systems). In MEDLS, the same material that provides for structural stiffness also provides the deployment motivation and latching strength. Further, the elimination of joints enhances dimensional stability and minimizesdeadband in the deployed structure. Preliminary analyses indicate that many practical structures can be manufactured and packaged within the strain limits of existing continuous fiber polymer resin material systems.The specific commercial products resulting from the proposed program will be highly reliable, low cost, high performance deployable systems that have applications for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) structures, antennas, reflectors, sun shades,