Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Trw Limited

Garrett R Wittkopp

Kenneth W Kawahara

Kenneth A Kaufman

Jeffrey L Baker

David Antoniuk

John E Richer

An integrated reflector and boom () for a deployable space based reflector antenna includes a facesheet () of stiff reflective material and a stiff lattice or grid structure bonded to the facesheet in a reflector portion of the assembly and defines a boom to the assembly. The grid structure is formed of ribs (&) that interlock through slots formed in the ribs, arranged in a symmetric pattern that defines an isogrid structure in the reflector portion and in at least a part of the boom assembly. At least some of the ribs extend in one piece from the reflector portion and into the boom. One of those ribs () is located along an axis of symmetry of the grid structure.

Integrated symmetrical reflector and boom

An integral reflector-boom assembly () for a deployable antenna includes a facesheet () of stiff reflective material and a stiff lattice or grid structure bonded to the facesheet to form a reflector () portion of the assembly and a boom (). Interlocked ribs (&) are arranged in a pattern that defines an isogrid structure in the reflector portion and at least a part of the boom assembly. Some of the ribs () extend in one piece from the reflector portion through the boom portion.

Integrated reflector and boom

There is provided a heat pipe assembly 10 formed of dissimilar materials for the heat pipe 18 integrated with the host structure 16 in a manner that optimizes removal of unwanted heat generated by various devices on a space or terrestrial platform 14. A conventional heat pipe construction 18 mounted within a circular cross-section channel 28 formed in a retaining block 26 leaving an annular gap 30 between the outside surface wall 33 of the heat pipe and the inside surface wall 32 of the channel 28. A heat conductive fluid 40 is injected into the annular gap 30 permitting the dissimilar CTE materials to thermally expand and contract as the platform or structure 14 experiences extreme temperature changes.

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Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

Garrett R Wittkopp