An inflatable structure, called a concentrator, was to support a Fresnel lens that would concentrate sunlight. Using an in flatable structure would provide significant reductions in weight. Also, since the inflatable structure could be placed in orbit deflated and then inflated prior to use, the overall size of the payload would be substantially reduced. Development work on inflatable structures is being continued at Marshall Space Flight under several projects. One project, called Advanced Solar Orbit Transfer Vehicle Concentrator Technology (ASCOT), will develop an experiment that would fly on an expendable launch vehicle in the year 2000. This experiment will have an inflatable structure that supports a Fresnel lens. The lens will project the sun's light into a calorimeter for measurement of the amount of heat generated. Also, the performance of a pointing and control system for the inflatable concentrator will be studied. Other in-house projects at Marshall Space Flight Center will address numerous issues and problems with the development of inflatable space structures.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Dynamic testing of inflatable spacecraft structures


    Contributors:
    Engberg, R. (author) / Lassiter, J. (author)

    Published in:

    Sound and Vibration ; 33 , 6 ; 16-20


    Publication date :

    1999


    Size :

    5 Seiten, 8 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 7 Quellen



    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




    INFLATABLE STRUCTURES OF OR FOR SPACECRAFT

    DANIELS MAXIMILLIAN PHILIP / HUNTER WILLIAM RICHARD | European Patent Office | 2024

    Free access

    INFLATABLE STRUCTURES OF OR FOR SPACECRAFT

    DANIELS MAXIMILLIAN PHILIP / HUNTER WILLIAM RICHARD | European Patent Office | 2025

    Free access

    INFLATABLE STRUCTURES OF OR FOR SPACECRAFT

    DANIELS MAXIMILLIAN PHILIP / HUNTER WILLIAM RICHARD | European Patent Office | 2023

    Free access


    System Integration Comparison Between Inflatable and Metallic Spacecraft Structures

    Valle, Gerard D. / Zipay, John J. / Litteken, Douglas et al. | IEEE | 2019