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Deployable Articulating Array for Nanosatellites

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: W9113M-10-C-0012
Agency Tracking Number: A092-120-1773
Amount: $69,961.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: A09-120
Solicitation Number: 2009.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2010
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2009-11-01
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2010-04-30
Small Business Information
2600 Campus Drive, Suite D
Lafayette, CO 80026
United States
DUNS: 161234687
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: Yes
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Robert Taylor
 Sr. Finance and Contracts Manager
 (303) 664-0394
 robert.taylor@ctd-materials.com
Business Contact
 Lori Bass
Title: VP of Technology
Phone: (303) 664-0394
Email: lori.bass@ctd-materials.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

The proposed innovation is targeted at inexpensive and operationally responsive nanosatellite platforms with a total stowed volume of 32cm x 20cm x 20cm or less. Such technologies currently suffer from limited functionality due to undesirable power constraints. The proposed innovation is an articulating deployable nanosatellite array. When used as a solar array, the structural innovation allows an order of magnitude increase in power generation over the state of the art from 5 to 50 Watts. The articulating array provides two problem-solving characteristics. 1) It allows a large area of arrays to be stowed into a thin and unobtrusive volume surrounding the spacecraft bus. 2) Using a novel solid-state (non-motorized) actuator, it articulates the array about a single axis. The articulation is provided by a simple and energy efficient solid-state (i.e. no motors) actuation mechanism. This allows the spacecraft configuration to be optimized for two or more simultaneous tasks. For example, an RF antenna rigidly attached to the spacecraft bus could be maintained in a nadir pointing configuration while the solar arrays are maintained in a solar pointing configuration by the proposed articulating deployable array structure.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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