Development of a new class of satellites: a composite lightweight affordable spacecraft structure

Conference · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:244505

Thompson, T C; Parietti, L

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in partnership with Composite Optics Incorporated (COI) has successfully designed and tested a Composite Lightweight Affordable Structure (CLASS). The use of advanced composites in space applications is well developed, but the application of an all-composite satellite structure has not been achieved until now. The development of this low-cost, lightweight, composite technology for use in small satellite structures, in this case, for the Fast On-Orbit Recording of Transient Events (FORT{acute E}) satellite mission will make a considerable contribution to the advanced spacecraft community. A common practice for constructing small spacecraft structures is to use an all-aluminum spacecraft bus. Compared to a composite structure, this reduces the payload capacity significantly; however, the cost of the aluminum structure has historically been lower than one of that uses lightweight components. LANL mission requirements dictate the need for a long term solution that substantially increased the ratio of payload to structural mass while maintaining a low-risk low-cost approach. LANL intends to use the concept developed for FORT{acute E} on future missions requiring similar enhanced payload capacities. 1 fig.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 244505
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--96-1743; CONF-960786--3; ON: DE96011296
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DESIGN
SATELLITES