Self-Deploying Composite Shell Reflector Antenna for Ku-Band Missions: 1.5 m Diameter Demonstrator

Abstract

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite shell reflectors have been developed for space borne antennas due to their light weight, high thermal stability, and high surface accuracy. In order to reduce launch cost and structural mass, compactly folding and self-deployment of the reflector is preferred. In this paper, the full-scale offset reflector with a diameter of 6 m was designed by introducing reinforcements in the central region. After modal analysis was carried out for full-scale reflector model, the suitability of design was determined and 1/4-scaled version was manufactured. The experiments of the demonstrator were conducted for modal analysis, folding, dynamic deployment behavior and surface accuracy. As a result of study, new reflector model was successfully designed with low-mass, manufacturing ease, lower cost and has a monolithic structure, which two opposite edges of the reflector can be rolled toward the center of the reflector for packaging.