Growing cost restrictions on advanced military, as well as commercial space systems demand greater efficiency in spacecraft subsystems to provide higher payload mass fractions. Spacecraft structures have typically been viewed as essential but unproductive components of satellites. Multifunctional structures (MFS) is a concept that incorporates various spacecraft functions (thermal management, electrical cabling, etc) onto the bus structure, thereby providing necessary weight and volume savings that enable next generation systems. This paper summarizes various MFS programs being developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate (VS), that could potentially revolutionize the efficiency of spacecraft structures. Developmental MFS efforts at the AFRL include the following technology areas: avionic subsystems that utlize High Density Interconnect (HDI) techniques to manufacture Multichip Modules (MCM), flexible interconnect design and fabrication, the replacement of conventional round wire cabling with embedded copper traces, smart array structures, lightweight flexible solar array development, thin film lithium battery development, composite radiation shielding materials and techniques, and more. These technologies have been and will be demonstrated on various spacecraft with eventual application to existing and future operational spacecraft systems.
Overview of Multifunctional Structure Efforts at the Air Force Research Laboratory
Seventh International Conference and Exposition on Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Business in Space ; 2000 ; Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Space 2000 ; 319-326
2000-02-18
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Overview of Multifunctional Structure Efforts at the Air Force Research Laboratory
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