Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Kenneth W Kawahara

Garrett R Wittkopp

Kenneth A Kaufman

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.

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Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

Kenneth W Kawahara