Eagle Technology, LLC

Stephen Jenkins

Robert M Taylor

Philip J Henderson

Timothy L Fetterman

Christopher L Rose

David Lopez

Michael J Ache

Kyle Whybrew

Alec Guenther

A spaceborne antenna for a satellite may include antenna sections for the satellite, and at least one rolling flex hinge rotatably coupling first and second antenna sections together and permitting rotation between a stored position and a deployed position. The first and second antenna sections may be stacked in the stored position and extended in end-to-end relation in the deployed position. The at least one rolling flex hinge may include a first hinge body coupled to an end of the first antenna section, a second hinge body coupled to an end of the second antenna section, and a flexible strap arrangement coupling the first hinge body and second hinge body together to permit rolling contact therebetween. At least one locking linkage may be coupled between the first and second hinge bodies to lock the first and second hinge bodies when the first and second antenna sections are in the deployed position.

Spaceborne antenna with rolling flex hinges and associated methods

A method for deploying a trough structure. The methods comprise: causing a first telescoping segment to move in a first direction away from a proximal end of a telescoping boom; and transiting a flexible element from an untensioned state to a tensioned state as the first telescoping segment is moved in the first direction. The flexible element is coupled to a distal end of the first telescoping segment by a first bulkhead and is coupled to a distal end of a second telescoping segment by a second bulkhead. The first telescoping segment is coupled to the second telescoping segment of the boom when the first telescoping segment reaches an extended position. The flexible element has a parabolic trough shape when in the tensioned state.

Dual boom deployable parabolic trough reflector

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Melbourne, FL, United States of America

Stephen Jenkins