| Abstract Scope |
Increasing the size of radio frequency (RF) reflectors in space can enhance gain and spatial resolution in space-based communication and remote sensing applications. The size of current passive deployable reflectors, such as the Northrop Grumman Astromesh, is limited by a tradeoff between diameter and surface precision, which causes surface precision to degrade as size increases. A promising approach to overcome this tradeoff combines a candidate in-space manufacturing process, termed Bend-Forming, with embedded actuation to correct for on-orbit disturbances. This talk will describe the principles of Bend-Forming, a deformation processing technique for forming net-shaped reticulated structures, and its application in a microgravity environment, where new challenges with attitude control arise. The present results highlight opportunities in new reflector technologies combining in-space manufacturing, which enables large structures, with distributed embedded actuation, which enables precise control over the reflector surface. |