Zero-G Deployment Testing of a New Rollable and Retractable Solar Array

Abstract

The deployment and retraction of a new solar array is demonstrated in the zero-g environment of a parabolic flight in July 2021. The new array is a flexible blanket design with rollable blanket and boom. In contrast to other rollable arrays that use two torsionally flexible booms at the array’s edges like ROSA, a single torsionally rigid boom in the center is used. The deployment of the array is driven by the deployment mechanism of the boom which is also able to retract the entire array to its stowed state. The design of the mechanism allows two array configurations with one or two wings deployed from the same hub. The zero-g-demonstrator of the array is a two-wing configuration that is designed for a size of 10m x 3m. It is manufactured with reduced dimensions of 4m x 1.3m to fit into the aircraft’s experiment bay. Within the 30 parabolas of the 1-day flight campaign three deployment and retraction cycles are successfully demonstrated. A smooth, predictable and well controllable deployment and retraction behavior is observed raising the TRL of this new array type from 4 to 5.