Patent ID: 8894017

Claim:
An extensible boom structure comprising: at least one yoke segment, each yoke segment having a yoke axis extending between a first end of the yoke segment and a second end of the yoke segment; a rigid solar panel with a solar power-generating surface; and at least one array segment, each array segment having an array segment axis extending between a first end of the array segment and a second end of the array segment, wherein: the at least one yoke segment forms a first extensible assembly with a proximal end and a distal end, the at least one array segment forms at least one second extensible assembly, the proximal end of the first extensible assembly is configured to be rotatably connected with a side of a spacecraft, the spacecraft having a pitch axis, a roll axis, and a yaw axis that are all orthogonal to one another, the at least one second extensible assembly is rotatably connected with the first extensible assembly at the distal end of the first extensible assembly, the at least one yoke segment and the at least one array segment are movable from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration, wherein the extensible boom structure is configured such that when the proximal end of the first extensible assembly is connected with the side of the spacecraft and is in the deployed configuration, the at least one yoke segment is substantially aligned with the pitch axis and extends away from the spacecraft and each array segment axis is substantially perpendicular to the pitch axis, the rigid solar panel is mounted to one of the at least one yoke segment, and the solar power-generating surface faces away from the spacecraft when the extensible boom structure is mounted to the side of the spacecraft and is in the stowed configuration.