30m class lightweight large deployable reflector

JAXA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, is now developing 30m class lightweight large deployable reflectors. The reflectors are made from seven tri-fold deployable truss modules. The tri-fold deployable truss is composed of three four sided links with joints and can be stowed as collapsible umbrella. Each module has six tri foldable ribs so that is shapes hexagonal reflector. The seven modules form a large deployable reflector whose size is 30m is aperture. Since the ribs of tri-fold deployable truss is relatively longer than that of single-fold deployable truss, which was used for the Engineering Test Satellite VIII and successfully deployed in orbit in 2006, the weight is reduced from the previous design. For the tri-fold redesigned. The cable material is changed to carbon fibers and then the reflector thermal deformation is compressed. The feasibility and design of tri-fold deployable truss have been confirmed and improved through structural analyses. The analyses are performed with JAXA FEM analyzer “Origami/ETS.” Next, it is planned to verify and modify the design of reflector with the experiments of prototype models.