A deployable structure serves an important function in small satellites as their performance is improved steadily. Larger deployable solar array paddles are expected as the satellite requires a larger amount of electric power. The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system for small satellites requires a deployable antenna. Various deployable membrane structures have been proposed for the deorbit of micro/nanosatellites in low Earth orbit. The actuators and devices for a deployable structure continue to progress along with the development of a deployable structure. The hold-release mechanism has been becoming smaller and simpler. The shape control devices are actively researched for a high-precision deployable structure. There are several requirements imposed on the deployable structures, e.g., low cost, lightweight, small volume in stored configuration, reliable deployment, large aperture in deployed configuration, and accuracy/repeatability of a deployed shape. Dedicated efforts are made to satisfy these requirements in research and development of a deployable structure/device. This paper provides an overview of the past and current research and development of a deployable structure for small satellites.

Deployable Techniques for Small Satellites

Membrane diffractive optical elements formed by fabricating microstructures on the substrates have two important characteristics, ultra-light mass (surface mass density < 0.1 kg/m2) and loose surface shape tolerances (surface accuracy requirements are on the order of magnitude of centimeter). Large-aperture telescopes using a membrane diffractive optical element as the primary lens have super large aperture, light weight, and low cost at launch. In this paper, the research and development on space-based diffractive telescopes are classified and summarized. First, the imaging theory and the configuration of diffractive-optics telescopes are discussed. Then, the developments in diffractive telescopes are introduced. Finally, the development prospects for this technology used as a high-resolution space reconnaissance system in the future are summarized, and the critical and relevant work that China should carry out is put forward.

Development of space-based diffractive telescopes

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20190026685/downloads/20190026685.pdf

Technology and opportunities of photon sieve CubeSat with deployable optical membrane

The US Air Force Academy of Physics has built FalconSAT-7, a membrane solar telescope to be deployed from a
3U CubeSat in LEO. The primary optic is a 0.2m photon sieve – a diffractive element consisting of billions of tiny
circular dimples etched into a Kapton sheet. The membrane its support structure, secondary optics, two imaging
cameras and associated control, recording electronics are packaged within half the CubeSat volume. Once in space
the supporting pantograph structure is deployed, extending out and pulling the membrane flat under tension. The
telescope will then be directed at the Sun to gather images at H-alpha for transmission to the ground. We will
present details of the optical configuration, operation and performance of the flight telescope which has been made
ready for launch in early 2017.

FalconSAT-7: a membrane space solar telescope

This article reports on the design and development of a deployable membrane telescope suitable for incorpora tion on 3U CubeSats. When hosting imaging payloads, the size of the primary optic has effectively been limited to the cross section size of the satellite bus. For 1U to 3U CubeSats, this is a diameter of less than 10 cm. To overcome this limitation, cadets and faculty at the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) are currently developing a deployable membrane telescope called Peregrine. Peregrine fits into a 1.5U volume and has a mass of less than 1.4 kg. The telescope includes a 20 cm photon sieve membrane primary optic that is deployed from the end of a CubeSat using a spring-loaded pantograph-based deployment system. A photon sieve (PS) is a diffractive optic that uses a pattern of billions of circular pads with relative size and positioning such that transmitted light though the photon sieve is diffracted to a focal plane array within the CubeSat. The deployable membrane telescope promises the ability to enable missions with a primary optical element that is larger than that of traditional optics, allowing for missions with greater optical resolution.

https://www.jossonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/0301-A-Deployable-Membrane-Telescope.pdf

A Deployable Membrane Telescope Payload for CubeSats

We report on the design of FalconSAT-7 (FS-7), a 3U Cubesat with a deployable solar telescope payload. The program is run by undergraduate cadets at the Air Force Academy, and graduate students at the Air Force Institute of Technology. The purpose of the mission is to demonstrate a deployable telescope with larger aperture than the spacecraft structure. The telescope deploys from one end of FS-7, and has a clear aperture of 20cm, twice the cross section of the host spacecraft structure. This novel payload is made possible by the use of a thin (28 micron) membrane optic using diffractive principles to focus H-alpha light from the sun onto an onboard camera. The membrane optic is deployed using a set of spring loaded pantographs, which tension the membrane and hold it flat. The Colony-II program office provided the 3U bus which is built by the Boeing Company. The FS-7 mission is supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Tactical Technology Office. Launch of FS-7 is expected in late 2015.

/pdf/falconsat-7-a-deployable-solar-telescope-3meb3wsvi3.pdf

FalconSAT-7—A Deployable Solar Telescope

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FalconSAT-7—A Deployable Solar Telescope