Deployable Mesh Reflector

by Z. You, Univ of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom,
S. Pellegrino, Univ of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Spatial, Lattice and Tension Structures

Abstract:

This paper presents a new deployable reflector for space applications, based on a deployable edge frame that deploys and prestresses a 'rigid' cable network. The edge frame consists of a three-dimensional ring pantograph, a set of passive cables that become taut when the pantograph is deployed and are then pre-tensioned to stiffen the pantograph, and one/two active cables that control the deployment of the pantograph and the prestressing of the passive cables. The cable network consists of a 3-way regular tessellation of hexagons - for the top parts - and a 4-way semi-regular tessellation of hexagons and triangles - for the bottom part - connected by a series of cable ties. A global state of prestress can pretension all cables. Tests on a 3.5 m model of the reflector have demonstrated the feasibility of the new concept.

Subject Headings: Cables | Space frames | Prestressing | Pretensioning | Feasibility studies | Three-dimensional models | Space exploration

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