A spacecraft, such as a satellite, uses a shape memory polymer actuator to deploy one or more deployable parts. The shape memory polymer actuator may be formed integrally with a deployable part and/or with a fuselage or other structure of the spacecraft, with the shape memory polymer actuator being for example a relatively thin portion of the shape memory polymer material of the integral structure. The shape memory actuator allows deployment of the deployable part(s) upon heating of the shape memory polymer material of the actuator, such as after the satellite has been launched into space. The heating may be caused by a heat source that is part of the spacecraft itself, or may be merely the result of exposing the spacecraft to solar heating after launch. The deployable part of the spacecraft may include any of a wide variety of parts that are used after launch.

An elastic roll out boom includes a thin wall, tubular, elongate structure having a plurality of interlocking elements disposed in spaced-apart relation along the surface thereof. The elastic roll out boom is configured to be flattened and rolled tightly to form a roll in a stowed configuration. The plurality of interlocking elements are positioned such that a first interlocking element engages a second interlocking element when the elastic roll out boom is in the stowed configuration. This prevents shear displacement between layers of the roll out boom.

A deployable structure for use in establishing a reflectarray antenna is provided that includes a flexible reflectarray and a deployment structure that includes an endless pantograph for deploying the flexible reflectarray from a folded, undeployed state towards a deployed state in which the flexible reflectarray is substantially planar. In a particular embodiment, the deployment structure includes a plurality of tapes that engage the endless pantograph and are used to establish a positional relationship between the deployed reflectarray and another component of the reflectarray antenna.

A directionally-controlled roll-out elastically deployable solar array structure is disclosed. The structure includes one or more longitudinal elastic roll out booms that may be closed section or open section to allow for efficient rolled packaging onto a lateral mandrel. A flexible photovoltaic blanket is attached to a tip structure and to a lateral base support structure, but remains uncoupled from the longitudinal booms. The solar array system may be stowed simultaneously into a rolled package comprised of the roll out booms and the flexible planar blanket together, or onto independent rolls. Alternatively, the system may be stowed by rolling the booms, and accordion Z-folding the hinged flexible photovoltaic blanket into a flat stack. Structural deployment is motivated by the elastic strain energy of the roll out booms, and several methods of deployment direction control are provided to ensure a known, controlled, and unidirectional deployment path of the elastically unrolling booms.

A driving mechanism controller included in a capturing device causes one or more driving mechanisms to spread a tethering member having an elongated shape to the outside of a housing by a target spread length. The driving mechanism controller, when an artificial space object is located in the area surrounded by the tethering member, causes the one or more driving mechanisms to retract the tethering member to the inside of the housing until at least a part of the tethering member comes into contact with the artificial space object. The tethering member is stable in a first shape having a curved section orthogonal to a linear extending direction of the tethering member.

The present invention relates to an assembly apparatus for assembling components of spacecraft in space. The assembly apparatus includes: a core platform; and a mobile platform including an end effector configured to perform an assembly or manufacturing task. The mobile platform is connected to the core platform by a tether. The core platform includes a body and a coupling element connected to and extendable from the body such that the coupling element may be spaced from the body of the core platform. The tether connects the mobile platform to the body via the coupling element. The assembly apparatus further includes an actuator configured to vary the length of the tether extending between the coupling element and the mobile platform to control the position of the mobile platform relative to the body of the core platform.

A method and apparatus for deploying a group of panels. An apparatus comprises a group of panels in a folded configuration against a side of a spacecraft, a group of flexible members connected to the group of panels, and an interface system associated with the group of panels and the group of flexible members. The interface system is configured to move the group of panels from the folded configuration to a deployed configuration when the group of flexible members is extended from the spacecraft.

Provided is a testbed for conducting an experiment on a substance in a cryogenic liquid state in a microgravity environment. Such a testbed includes a frame with rectangular nominal dimensions, and a source section supported by the frame for supplying the substance to be evaluated in the cryogenic liquid form. An experiment supported by the frame includes an experiment vessel in fluid communication with the storage tank to receive and condense the substance into the cryogenic liquid state. A sensor senses a property of the cryogenic liquid in the experiment vessel as part of the experiment, and a bus section includes a controller configured to control delivery of the substance to the experiment vessel, and receives property data indicative of the property sensed by the sensor for subsequent evaluation on Earth.

A flex-drive actuator for a satellite boom hinge or other hinge applications. Using a motor-driven cog and a unique drive chain, the hinge can be reversibly driven between open and closed positions, thereby deploying or stowing the boom and attached payload. The chain includes links designed so that, when bent in one direction, the chain pre-buckles into a rigid circular arc form that matches the deployment path of the hinge. This pre-buckling essentially converts the chain into a rigid gear segment that can carry a moment to actuate the hinge. As the cog retracts the chain and the hinge closes, the circular shape of the chain de-buckles on the free side of the cog, where the chain can be stored as a straight section inside of a boom tube or folded into a magazine. The flex-drive actuator can accommodate any desired actuation angle by addition of links to the chain.

The present invention relates to articulating spacecraft chassis and methods of making and using same. The present invention relates to spacecraft chassis and methods of making and using same. Such spacecraft chassis have a dynamic movement capability that allows the spacecraft to alter its structure while still maintaining industry volumetric launch standards. This capability increases opens up a wide range of achievable volumetric states and increases the ability to meet mission requirements by introducing a new tunable parameter. In addition, the judicious selection of certain dynamic movement parameters can result increased payload capabilities and improved maneuverability.