Patent ID: 8814099
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
1. A deployable morphing modular solar array (DMMSA), the DMMSA comprising: a root staging and deployment mechanism (RSDM) mountable to a spacecraft; a plurality of petal assemblies, each petal assembly rotatably secured to the RSDM for rotation about an axis, each of the plurality of petal assemblies adapted to rotate about a different location along the length of the axis, each petal assembly having at least one deployable morphing modular solar power assembly (DMMSPA) panel, and each DMMSPA panel having an undeformed V-configuration in a cross-sectional plane that is perpendicular to a radius extending from the axis; and a launch restraint assembly for stacking and sandwiching the at least one DMMSPA panel associated with each of the plurality of petal assemblies, the launch restraint assembly adapted to apply a preload to the DMMSPA panels to deform each of the DMMSPA panels from the undeformed V-configuration into a deformed and substantially flat configuration; wherein, when the DMMSPA panels are stacked and sandwiched with the launch restraint assembly prior to depolyment release of the launch restraint assembly removes the preload on the flattened DMMSPA panels so that each of the DMMSPA panels can subsequently morph from the deformed and substantially flat configuration towards the undeformed V-configuration.