The present disclosure relates to deployable structures, to methods and apparatus for deployment of deployable structures, and to associated manufacturing methods. Such deployable structures suitably comprise components for space structures, such supports for solar arrays, antennas or other similar systems. The deployable structure comprises a lattice element arrangeable in a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The lattice element (200) comprises a pre-stressed strip arranged in a clockwise helix (306, FIG. 3a), a pre-stressed strip arranged in an anticlockwise helix (308, FIG. 3a), and a plurality of fasteners (310, FIG. 3a) for rotatably coupling the strips to one another at a plurality of positions distributed along the length of the strips. The fasteners are provided at unequal spacings along the length of the strips such that on deployment the lattice element bends to a curved deployed configuration.

A deorbit-sail deployment device for forming a deorbit sail that drives a satellite to deorbit is disclosed. The deorbit-sail deployment device comprises a non-folding sail and a folding sail that are rotatably connected to each other to form the deorbit sail The folding sail comprises at least one first skeleton that folds the sail body in the folded state and supports the sail body in the unfolded state. The folding sail can be folded to a compact size before launch.

A deformable support apparatus includes a deformable body configured to transition between at least an extended state and a contracted state where a stiffness of the deformable body in the extended state is greater than a corresponding stiffness of the deformable body in the contracted state. The deformable body includes a first member and a second member coupled to and in opposition to the first member, and arranged about a longitudinal axis. In the extended state, the first member has at least a first curved portion and the second member has at least a second curved portion. The at least a first curved portion is a positive curved portion with respect to the longitudinal axis and the at least a second curved portion is a negative curved portion with respect to the longitudinal axis.

A deployable device includes a tape-spring capable of passing from a wound configuration about a first axis Z to a deployed configuration along a second axis X substantially perpendicular to the first axis Z, the tape-spring having two characteristic dimensions, a first characteristic dimension being the width of the tape-spring along the first axis Z, a second characteristic dimension being the thickness of the tape-spring along a third axis Y substantially perpendicular to the first axis Z and to the second axis X. At least one of the two characteristic dimensions has a non-constant value along the second axis X.

Multi-functional coilable thin-walled structures that can be implemented within space-based satellite modules, and methods for their manufacture are provided. Multi-functional coilable thin-walled structures are comprised of at least one longeron that is capable of rolling and collapsing upon itself. In some embodiments, the coilable thin-walled longeron is a flange longeron. The flange longeron contains at least two major regions: a web and a plurality of flanges. The web region comprises portions of flanges that are bonded to one another. The plurality of flanges separate from one another on the same end of the web region. The plurality of flanges are similar in thickness and shape.

An apparatus includes a satellite in the form of a plate having a thickness being smaller than a width of the satellite. The apparatus also includes a plurality of contact points distributed on a face of the satellite, allowing for one or more additional satellites to be stacked upon the satellite.

Satellites having autonomously deployable solar arrays are disclosed. A disclosed example satellite includes a solar array, a sensor to detect that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle, a processor to, based on the satellite exiting the launch vehicle, enable release of magnets or locks of an array, a release controller to control the release of the magnets or the locks of the array based on a release sequence to autonomously deploy the solar array, and a sequence analyzer to adapt the release sequence during execution of the release sequence, wherein adapting the release sequence includes changing an order in which the magnets or the locks of the array are released based on a degree to which the solar array is unfolded.

A tape drive comprises a roll of a tape that can be extended from a rolled state to an extended state. The tape includes a rigid material that supports the tape and a pliable material disposed at least partially on one side of the tape. A compression roller is disposed on a side of the tape and is biased toward the tape. A drive roller is disposed on the other side of the tape. The drive roller comprises an uneven surface that mechanically engages the pliable material of the tape, without protruding through the tape, as a result of the bias of the compression roller forcing the tape toward the drive roller. A motor turns the drive roller to extend the tape from the roll as the protrusions of the uneven surface of the drive roller mechanically engage the pliable material of the tape as the drive roller turns.

A solar array structure for a spacecraft is based on a modular approach, allowing for arrays to be designed, and designed to be modified, and manufactured in reduced time and with reduced cost. The embodiments for the solar array are formed of multiple copies of a “bay” of a multiple strings of solar array cells mounted on semi-rigid face-sheet structural elements. The bays are then placed into frame structures made of tubes connected by nodes to provide an easily scalable, configurable, and producible solar array wing structure. This allows for rapid turnaround of program specific designs and proposal iterations that is quickly adaptable to new/future PhotoVoltaic (PV) technologies and that can create uniquely shaped (i.e., not rectangular) arrays, allowing for mass production with simple mass producible building blocks.

Artificial satellite “Card-Sat” comprising a frame (1), an upper cover (2) and a lower cover (3), both covers (2, 3) being fixed to the frame (1), the frame (1), the upper cover (2) and the lower cover (3) defining a substantially paralelepipedic chamber (5), the satellite further comprising solar cells (6) fixed to the outer surface, in respect to the chamber (5), of the upper cover (2) and of the lower cover (3), and an avionics system (7), integrated on the inner surface, in respect to the chamber (5), of at least one of the upper cover (2) or the lower cover (3).