 Foster-Miller has completed projects for the US Air Force and NASA to design and build structures that need to be stowed into a small volume for spacecraft transport, and then deployed over large areas in space. Foster-Miller's structures have packing efficiencies of 175:1 to 528:1, compared with conventional packing efficiency of only 20:1. We built an ultra-lightweight truss that is 6m (20 ft) long and can support 178 N (40 lb), yet weighs only 359 gm (0.8 lb). A folding truss structure with a special hinge made from carbon fiber reinforced composite was used to make a 1.25m high support that folds to only 27 cm and weighed 1.77 kg, yet support over 90 kg.
These deployable structures have been used for systems that require optical tolerances for antennae and telescopes. Other applications include deployable sun shields, solar reflectors, photovoltaic arrays, and solar sails. Terrestrial applications for mobile bridges, emergency response shelters, lightweight security fences, and portable sound reflectors are being pursued.
Foster-Miller's deployable structures use a one-piece design that reduces the complexity of mechanical linkages, actuators, and latches, and greatly reduces system mass. Thermal expansion and heat dissipation can be controlled to meet mission requirements. All of the materials used in our structures have been flown in space for decades, and use manufacturing methods that are familiar to the composites industry.
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