A Novel Space Large Deployable Paraboloid Structure with Power and Communication Integration

Abstract

The combination of a solar array and a communication antenna can reduce the entire mass, physical size, and cost in space applications. Currently, related studies mainly focus on the combination of the two structures on the one flat plate structure (FPS). Compared with the FPS, a paraboloid structure has a lower surface density and higher conversion efficiency. Therefore, a novel space large deployable paraboloid structure with power and communication integration (SSPCI) is proposed and designed in detail, for spacecraft on a sun synchronous earth orbit; it consists of a cable mesh membrane reflector (CMMR), an energy conversion device (ECD), and a three-extensible-rod (TER) pointing mechanism. To achieve the goal of integrating power and communication, the TER pointing mechanism drives the CMMR/ECD to track the sun in the sunshine region or to turn to face the ground station/other target in the Earth’s shadow region. Then, through simulation analyses of the deploying process, static force at a limit orientation, and sun tracking process of the SSPCI, it is proved that the SSPCI is feasible and has satisfactory performance. Finally, deploying experiments of the folded hoop of the CMMR and sun tracking experiments of the TER pointing mechanism on the ground were carried out successfully, which proves that the folded hoop can be deployed successfully with fairly high deploying dependability, and the TER pointing mechanism is feasible for the SSPCI from the mechanism principle and the control mode in space applications indirectly. Moreover, the tracking accuracy of the TER pointing mechanism is estimated to be within ±0.4° although the machining precision of its components is not high.

Dynamic modeling and reliability analysis of satellite antenna deployment mechanism based on parameter uncertainty

“…Particularly during the antenna deployment process, the large scale, structural complexity, and variable form of the deployment mechanism may lead to inaccurate or failed antenna deployment. The consequences of such failures include a significant degradation in the performance of the satellite antenna or rendering it unusable postlaunch, resulting in substantial economic losses 11–13 . In October 2006, China's first live broadcast satellite “Xinnuo II” was confirmed to have failed due to the incomplete deployment of the solar panels and communication antenna.…”

“…The consequences of such failures include a significant degradation in the performance of the satellite antenna or rendering it unusable postlaunch, resulting in substantial economic losses. [11][12][13] In October 2006, China's first live broadcast satellite "Xinnuo II" was confirmed to have failed due to the incomplete deployment of the solar panels and communication antenna. Considering the critical significance of deployable antenna reliability, the Chinese defense industry has embarked on research focused on essential technologies pertaining to antenna deployment mechanisms.…”