Moog CSA Engineering (United States)

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is a large (8.4 meter) wide-field (3.5 degree) survey telescope, which will be located on the Cerro Pachón summit in Chile. Both the Secondary Mirror (M2) Cell Assembly and Camera utilize hexapods to facilitate optical positioning relative to the Primary/Tertiary (M1M3) Mirror. Geometric considerations preclude the use of a conventional hexapod arrangement for the M2 Hexapod. A rotator resides between the Camera and its hexapod to facilitate tracking. The requirements of the M2 Hexapod and Camera Hexapod are very similar; consequently to facilitate maintainability both hexapods will utilize identical actuators.

Radio communications apertures for spacecraft have long been implemented using deployable architectures in order to fit within the allowable launch vehicle volume. Apertures for optics missions have traditionally not been segmented because of the tight requirements on the deployed surface. By the nature of the problem, larger apertures are generally better, but complicate orbital delivery. While there are several reflectors commercially available, high packing ratios come at very high cost due to the extremely complex nature of the designs. Researchers at the Space Vehicles Directorate have been investigating ways to enable high packing ratios while reducing the design, integration, and testing complexity of deployable systems, thereby driving down cost and enabling greater mission capabilities. Recent advances in flexible composites have opened up the possibilities of packaging apertures using either distributed or concentrated strain. This paper offers an overview of recent work done to enable lower complexity deployable apertures. Several origami-inspired designs are presented including a flat spiral folding membrane, a parabolic antenna reflector, and a phased array structure.

Rideshare reduces launch costs while enabling access to space for the fast-growing small satellite community. Combinations of spacecraft are launched as secondary and tertiary payloads or as co-manifested primary payloads. Payload adapters designed for the launch environment are used to package the spacecraft on the launch vehicle. This paper reviews a subset of the adapter hardware with flight heritage and some new adapters in development.