A deployable spacecraft atmospheric-entry heat shield 30 with a transformable polyhedral-surface 10 comprising a plurality of sectors having a plurality of mountain 4, 5 and valley 6, 7 fold lines, a plurality of facets 8 lying between the fold lines and an outside edge 12. The shield unfolds from stowed to a deployed configuration. Preferably, the shield is a radiative heat shield arranged in a flasher origami-like pattern, formed as an integral sheet material, etched as a single monolithic metal piece, coated with a high emissivity and low absorptive coating. The compact shield may be compatible with cube format spacecraft, e.g. cubesat, nanosat or other small or large satellites having restricted launch volumes. The deployed polyhedral surface may adopt a stable state swept back form. The shield may decelerate the spacecraft during re-entry from Earth orbit while providing thermal protection or protect from tail debris during comet exploration missions.
Spacecraft heat shield
2024-04-24
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64G Raumfahrt , COSMONAUTICS |