California Institute of Technology

Jonathan Sauder

Nacer Chahat

Manan Arya

Richard E Hodges

Sergio Pellegrino

Thomas A Cwik

Yahya Rahmat-Samii

Brian Hirsh

Juan M Mejia-Ariza

Ellen Thiel

Mark W Thomson

A device can be configured as an under-constrained deployable system. Such a system can use under-constrained deployable couplers. A device may include a second segment coupled to the first segment by a high strain structure, wherein the high strain structure is bent to store deployment energy in a stowed configuration. Releasing the stored deployment energy can allow an under-constrained deployable system to transition to an expanded configuration. A tensioning system can transition an under-constrained deployable system to a deployed configuration.

Under-constrained deployable systems and components therefor

A deployable reflectarray has a plurality of strips arranged in quadrants forming the reflectarray. The copper ground plane and the copper dipoles are supported by facesheets made of epoxy reinforced by quartz fibers. The copper ground plane is separated from the copper dipoles by S-shaped springs made of epoxy reinforced by quartz fibers, which allow folding and deployment of the reflectarray.

Large aperture deployable reflectarray antenna

A deployable reflectarray antenna stowable in a 6U CubeSat volume is deployed through tape deployers and quartz cables. The telescoping waveguide is attached to the horn with a threaded insert. The reflectarray antenna has, at 37.75 GHz, a directivity of 48.5 dBi, a gain of 47.8 dBi, and an aperture efficiency of 42%. Hinges with a ball-end screw enable precise control of deployment angle of adjacent panels in the reflectarray antenna.

Deployable reflectarray antenna

A deployable antenna is described. The antenna comprises a mesh attached to foldable ribs, a hub and a sub-reflector. The antenna can be stowed in a tight space for launching in space, and later deployed by extending out of its container. The antenna is designed to work in the Ka band or other bands and can increase data rates and function as a radio antenna.

Parabolic deployable antenna

Growing community of inventors

Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Jonathan Sauder