Program Overview

Program Overview

The program focuses on the design of deployable surfaces for small satellites. The progress in electronic hardware has led to a significant reduction in satellite size, resulting in an increase in the nanosatellite market, including cubesats. However, power requirements have not decreased at the same rate, and small satellites often need to deploy solar arrays to collect sufficient solar energy.

Program Objectives

The purpose of this project is to conduct a review of current technologies used for surface deployment on board satellites and identify a particular application to be developed. Various concepts will be assessed, and a preliminary design of a novel system will be produced and analyzed.

Program Requirements

• The program involves research, design, and computational work.
  • Students will also be required to produce physical models (e.g., 3D printed) as proof of concept of the mechanism.
• The project aims to address the need for deployable structures, particularly surfaces, in small satellites to stow large items into a compact volume for launch and then deploy/unfold them to the required size and configuration for in-orbit operations.

Research Areas

• The program explores the area of satellite deployable structures, with a focus on deployable surfaces.
• It considers the challenges associated with the size of equipment such as mirrors, lenses, or antennas, which cannot be significantly reduced without a decrease in performance.

Program Expectations

• Students are expected to carry out a comprehensive review of current technologies and identify areas for development.
• The program aims to produce a novel system design and analyze its feasibility and potential applications in the field of small satellites.