An exemplary starshade comprises a tensegrity truss structure having a central hub with radially extending, telescoping booms. Telescoping tension struts connected to the central hub and booms provide a compressive force on the booms during final truss deployment. Opaque petals, not supported by the tensegrity truss structure prior to its final deployment, are each sequentially placed on and attached to the tensegrity truss structure in side by side position to form a concentric ring of petals spaced apart from the central hub. A fan fold covering, not supported by the tensegrity truss structure prior to its final deployment, is placed on and attached to the tensegrity truss structure to form an opaque, concentric inner ring about the central hub. An outer edge of the inner ring is adjacent an interior edge of the concentric ring of petals to block light from the petals to the central hub.

A starshade is provided that includes a circular base and opaque petals pivotably coupled to a perimeter of the circular base. The opaque petals are configured to pivot radially outward from a center axis of the circular base, wherein each of the opaque petals overlaps at least a portion of an adjacent opaque petal, and wherein each of the opaque petals tapers outward through a proximal section of the opaque petal and tapers inward through a distal section of the opaque petal.

A spacecraft includes: an antenna unit 20 including a first layer film 11 and a second layer film 14, the first layer film 11 including a plurality of slit-like openings 13 in a film that does not allow transmission of an electromagnetic wave 16, and the second layer film 14 including a light receiving element 15 that detects a coherent electromagnetic wave transmitting through the plurality of openings; and a processing unit 21 configured to estimate an arrival direction of the electromagnetic wave from signal intensities of the electromagnetic waves detected by the light receiving element.