Background
The video above is a preliminary design from NASA, using an inflatable ring to create a pyramidal solar array. The first part of our task is to design a boom that can be extended and retracted, without using gas, to deploy a four to nine square foot solar array.
The second phase of our project is to design and construct a circuit to perform the operations. The circuit must be able to:
The communication between the base station and the satellite will be taken care of by NASA.
The second phase of our project is to design and construct a circuit to perform the operations. The circuit must be able to:
- Receive a deployment signal
- Monitor for excessive tension on the boom that may indicate a problem with deployment
- Automatically stop at full extension
- Send a signal that the boom successfully extended
- Receive a retraction signal
- Monitor for excessive tension on the boom that may indicate a problem with retraction
- Automatically stop at full retraction
- Send a signal that the boom successfully retracted
- Receive a stop signal to interrupt deployment or retraction at any point in time
The communication between the base station and the satellite will be taken care of by NASA.
Update!
At the beginning of November 2014, we received an update of our design constraints. The original plan for the circuit remains the same, however the boom and solar cell constraints have been changed to the following:
With these new constraints, we must begin rethinking our boom design. Our revised project plan and design documentation have been posted on the documentation page.
- The entire project must fit inside 1U (defined as a cube with dimensions of 10cm X 10cm X 10cm).
- The deployed solar array must have a minimum area of one square meter.
With these new constraints, we must begin rethinking our boom design. Our revised project plan and design documentation have been posted on the documentation page.