Spacecraft Solar Array (SA) assemblies use nested cup/cone components to hold SA panels in a stowed position for spacecraft handling, storage, and launch, and enable subsequent deployment. Cup/cones are often made using titanium alloy, particularly with composite sandwich SA panels. To meet the spacecraft safety requirement to burn up on re-entry, with only small masses reaching Earth over a specified area (demise), the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission investigated replacing titanium cup/cone designs with either aluminum or carbon fiber polymer matrix composite materials. In addition to burning up on re-entry, key GPM cup/cone requirements include having 0.05 mm (0.002 inch) cup/cone nesting tolerances; withstanding 17.3 MPa (2500 psi) preload during a month of storage without releasing pre-load; providing sufficient mechanical strength for launch loads; and enabling SA deployment after launch with a release load of 26.7 N (6 lb-force). A stowed SA system frequency of 20 Hz, including the cup cones, is required. This paper presents the design, development, and verification efforts leading to a compression molded chopped fiber composite cup/cones design that met those requirements while providing a mass reduction of 52% over a metallic cup cone version at a competitive cost.
Solar array panel composite cup/cone design development and verification for the global precipitation measurement mission
2014
16 Seiten, Bilder, Tabellen
(nicht paginiert)
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Datenträger
Englisch