SPACECRAFT WITH SHAPE MEMORY POLYMER DEPLOYMENT MECHANISM

• Main Authors: KOEHLER, Frederick, B, LYMAN, Ward, D, SUMMERS, Matt, H, DANFORTH, Jeremy, C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 15.07.2020
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; BLASTING; COSMONAUTICS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR; WEAPONS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS

A spacecraft, such as a satellite, uses a shape memory polymer actuator to deploy one or more deployable parts. The shape memory polymer actuator may be formed integrally with a deployable part and/or with a fuselage or other structure of the spacecraft, with the shape memory polymer actuator being for example a relatively thin portion of the shape memory polymer material of the integral structure. The shape memory actuator allows deployment of the deployable part(s) upon heating of the shape memory polymer material of the actuator, such as after the satellite has been launched into space. The heating may be caused by a heat source that is part of the spacecraft itself, or may be merely the result of exposing the spacecraft to solar heating after launch. The deployable part of the spacecraft may include any of a wide variety of parts that are used after launch.