Reducing the shake, rattle, and roll on objects deployed in space (Forwarded)

Public Affairs
Air Force Research Laboratory
Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

Contact: Michael P. Kleiman
Phone: 505-846-4704

February 6, 2007

VS Release #07-01

Reducing the shake, rattle, and roll on objects deployed in space

Air Force Research Laboratory's Elastic Memory Composite Hinge program will
soon validate the performance of a heat-applied compound in resolving this
damaging issue

Current deployment mechanisms operating aboard spacecraft primarily consist
of heavy springs, which when activated, inflict shock to components such as
solar arrays and antennae, often hindering the equipment's efficiency in the
cosmos environment, but a developing technology to be evaluated in the near
future aboard the International Space Station could put a halt to the
not-so-good vibrations.

Comprised of a mixture of carbon fiber strands and an epoxy resin, the
Elastic Memory Composite Hinge operates by temperature application, becoming
pliable when heated and then maintaining a stiff position while cooling.

"The Elastic Memory Composite Hinge serves as a low-mass, low-complexity
replacement for current deployment mechanisms," said 1st Lt. Corey Duncan,
EMCH program manager, Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles
Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. "Additionally, these hinges will
mitigate spacecraft shock that is typically experienced in deployment
devices."

Employing monies awarded by the federal government-administered Small
Business Innovation Research program and other funding sources since 2000,
Composite Technology Development, Inc., Lafayette, Colo., designed,
advanced, and tested the EMCH system, which has demonstrated a gradual,
controlled functionality that protects, not harms, the item it will deploy.
For example, during launch when intense shaking can occur within the rocket
body, the hardened compound material restricts the movement of deployable
objects, but once the spacecraft reaches orbit, the opposite transpires as
increased temperatures from the sun or an internal energy source placed on
the apparatus creates elasticity.

Following almost four years of evaluating and proving EMCH's viability, CTD,
with oversight by AFRL's Space Vehicles Directorate, produced a
cost-effective, low-risk, and flight-ready experiment to validate the
hinge's predicted performance, as well as opted to transition the technology
to the Dept. of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
and industry for opportunities to exhibit the product's capability in orbit.
Shortly thereafter, during the DOD-sponsored Space Experiment Review Board,
the decision was made to manifest the EMCH on the International Space
Station, and in September 2006, following multiple reviews, NASA cleared the
trial for inclusion onboard Space Shuttle Mission STS-116, for transport to
its new home three months later.

"The Space Vehicles Directorate provided technical supervision and guidance
in the development, as well as in the production of the EMCH experiment. The
organization worked closely with Space and Missile System's Space
Development and Test Wing to place the innovative technology on the ISS
where it will be validated," said the EMCH program manager. "In my role as
the program manager, I have ensured a smooth transition from CTD to NASA."

Once the Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the ISS in December, one of the
eight astronauts comprising the crew manually transferred the EMCH
demonstration, which involved a clear self-contained, Plexiglas box,
measuring 10 inches by 20 inches by 17 inches, featuring three sets of tests
with two hinges apiece. To date, there have been no data returns from the
triple trials, but the ISS residents are scheduled to perform up to 30
experiments on EMCH, examining the robustness of these new hinges. EMCH is
also planned during one of their upcoming "Saturday Science" sessions. In
addition, another version of the experimental hinge deployed the
experimental solar arrays on TacSat2, a micro satellite also administered by
AFRL's Space Vehicles Directorate, which launched in December for a planned
six- to 12-month mission. Nevertheless, the EMCH's role on TacSat2 was
limited, as the mechanism did not impact the spacecraft's operations, nor
did it provide information to the ground control team.

"If the EMCH's performance is validated during its stint on the
International Space Station, it will reduce the risk of shake, rattle, and
roll to future space programs, as well as to the next generation of vehicles
operating in the cosmos. CTD's innovation is a highly cost-effective way of
validating elastic memory composite technology and accelerating the
transition of this technology to the warfighter," said 1st Lt. Duncan. "In
the end, the EMCH provides DOD and civilian space programs with a more
reliable and less complex deployment capability for their spacecraft."

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://www.vs.afrl.af.mil/News/Images/07-01.jpg (152KB)]
Elastic Memory Composite Hinge experiment currently aboard the International
Space Station
(Courtesy of Composite Technology Development, Inc.)

[Image 2:
http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photo...-6890S-003.JPG (11KB)]
Elastic Memory Composite Hinge in the deployed position
(Courtesy of Composite Technology Development, Inc.)

[Image 3:
http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photo...-6890S-002.JPG (10KB)]
Elastic Memory Composite Hinge in the stowed position
(Courtesy of Composite Technology Development, Inc.)