Tung, Roe and graduate student Scott Witherspoon are working with David Maynard of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Program Manager for Space Solar power. They will present their findings today at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Annual Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference in Seattle. Because inflatable structures minimize mass and volume, they are far less expensive and will become increasingly important in near-term and future space missions.
Inflatable structures have many uses, ranging from communications antennas to solar power arrays.
However, such a large structure is subject to radiation damage and puncture from micrometeoriods. The flexible structures can also drift and turn away slightly from their original orientation. Constant monitoring is necessary to ensure the continued integrity and long-term performance of the structure. That is where Tung, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, comes in. He has developed a flexible MEMS device that can be integrated into the fabric of an inflatable structure.