An extensible mast according to the present disclosure includes a first fiber layer made of a fiber-reinforced plastic, a second fiber layer that is arranged in contact with the first fiber layer and made of a fiber-reinforced plastic having a thermal expansion coefficient in a longitudinal direction larger than a thermal expansion coefficient in the longitudinal direction of the fiber-reinforced plastic applied to the first fiber layer, and an electric heating wire arranged on the second fiber layer. The number of times of overlapping of the electric heating wire in different layers when the first fiber layer, the second fiber layer, and the electric heating wire are wound and retracted in a roll shape is minimized. Thus, the elastic restoring force of the extensible mast can be maintained while an increase in weight and volume is suppressed.

A hinge assembly comprises first and second tape spring elements, wherein each of the spring elements is configured to connect a first element of a space structure to a second element of the space structure. Each of the first and the second tape spring elements is movable from a folded state into an unfolded state by releasing stored strain energy, to deploy the first and the second element of the space structure. The first tape spring element is connected to a first direct current source and configured to conduct direct current of a first polarity supplied to the first tape spring element from the first direct current source. The second tape spring element is connected to a second direct current source and configured to conduct direct current of a second polarity, opposite to the first polarity, supplied to the second tape spring element from the second direct current source.

An imaging system includes a metering structure and a plurality of foldable members disposed around a periphery of the metering structure. Each foldable member in the plurality of foldable members includes an arm comprising a strain deployable composite and a reflector disposed on the arm. The arm in a respective foldable member in the plurality of foldable members is configured to hold the respective foldable member toward the metering structure in a first state and to hold the respective foldable member away from the metering structure in a second state such that the reflector of the respective foldable member forms part of a sparse aperture in the second state.

A plate folding and unfolding device and a solar panel structure are provided. The plate folding and unfolding device includes a cam fixed with first plate piece, and a rotating shaft is disposed inside the cam in an axial direction of the cam; a connecting rod, where the connecting rod includes a first end and a second end that are opposite to each other, the first end is connected vertically to the rotating shaft, and the second end is fixed to a second plate piece; a positioning shaft, where the positioning shaft is disposed, on the connecting rod; and an elastic piece, where the elastic piece is disposed on the connecting rod, one end of the elastic piece is connected to the positioning shaft, where a groove that accommodates the positioning shaft is disposed at at least one location of the outer peripheral surface of the cam.

A solar panel array assembly is provided that is adapted to transition between a stowed condition in which at least two solar panels are stacked and a deployed condition in which the solar panels are unstacked relative to the stowed condition and that exhibits a low-profile when in the stowed condition. In one embodiment, the assembly includes at least two solar panels, a flexible hinge connecting and extending between the panels that allows relative rotation of the panels to one another, a torsion bar for providing the force for causing the rotation of the panels for the transition between the stowed and deployed conditions, and a truss structure that transitions from a relatively flat, inoperative state when the panels are stowed to an operative state for use with deployed panels.

In one embodiment, an apparatus is attached to a feature to be deployed on a satellite. The apparatus includes a first material having an impedance, a second material coupled to the first material configured to provide a current or voltage to the first material causing the first material to generate heat based on the impedance after a launch process of a launch vehicle carrying the satellite has completed, and a third material configured to change state at a transition temperature. A release mechanism is coupled to the third material and holds the feature in an undeployed position on the satellite. The heat generated by the second material causes the third material to change state when the transition temperature range is reached and the release mechanism is released from the third material when the third material is in the second state to deploy the feature.

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 space-based solar power station, a power generating satellite module and/or a method for collecting solar radiation and transmitting power generated using electrical current produced therefrom, and/or compactible structures and deployment mechanisms used to form and deploy such satellite modules and power generation tiles associated therewith are provided. Each satellite module and/or power generation tile may be formed of a compactable structure and deployment mechanism capable of reducing the payload area required to deliver the satellite module to an orbital formation within the space-based solar power station and reliably deploy it once in orbit.

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.

The disclosed technology includes systems, methods, and mechanism configurations related to satellite solar panels, including stowing arrangements, deployment sequences, special purpose hinges, hold down and release mechanisms, and associated components for controlled deployment of the satellite solar panels.