An evaluation of inflatable truss frame for space applications

Abstract

NASA has been evaluating several very large space solar power (SSP) system concepts with a varying degree of configurations. A key to successful deployment of these very large-scale systems lies in meeting their structural needs. The structures that will support the SSP system requirements will, thus, be extremely large compared to current standards. These structures must meet the requirements of extremely low mass, low packaging volume and be capable of controlled deployment. A breakthrough in the current state-of-the-art of the structural booms is required to meet these diverse requirements. To meet this goal several boom concepts, which have the potential to be deployable to very long lengths, are under consideration for their structural and volume packaging efficiencies. Different current and potential structural concepts were compared for their structural efficiency to meet the desired loading expected in typical space missions. From this analysis a truss frame boom was found to be very mass efficient for very long length booms. This truss frame was configured into a unique space inflatable structure known as the Inflatable Space Frame (ISF). This structure was designed and built using a shape memory polymer as matrix and graphite as the reinforcement to achieve the