LARGE INFLATABLE DEPLOYABLE ANTENNA FLIGHT EXPERIMENT RESULTS

Large space-based deployable antenna structures are needed for a varie ty of applications. However, recent reductions of antenna user resourc es have resulted in a real need for low-cost, large-size, lightweight, and reliable deployable space antenna structures. Fortunately, a new c lass of deployable space structures, called ''inflatable space structu res is under development at L'Garde, Inc. The potential of this new co ncept was recognized by NASA who selected it for a flight experiment. The objective of the experiment was to develop a large, low-cost infla table antenna structure and demonstrate its mechanical performance in the space environment. The carrier for this free-flying experiment was the STS-launched and recovered Spartan spacecraft. The experiment har dware consisted of a 14-meter diameter off-set parabolic reflector str ucture. The Spartan 207/IAE was successfully flown on STS 77, deployed on May 20, 1996 with Spartan recovery on May 21, 1996. The basic ante nna structure deployed successfully, but in an uncontrolled manner, th at clearly demonstrated the robustness of this new type of space struc ture. The low cost of the flight antenna structure hardware and the ou tstanding mechanical packaging demonstrated on orbit clearly validated the potential of this new class of space structure for enabling new, low-cost missions. (C) 1998 International Astronautical Federation. Pu blished by Elsevier Science Ltd.