Sensors (Apr 2024)

Design and Preliminary Ground Experiment for Deployable Sunshade Structures of a Modular Space Telescope

  • Ye Kuang,
  • Shuaihui Wang,
  • Yan Gao,
  • Boqian Xu,
  • Shuyan Xu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s24072280
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 7
p. 2280

Abstract

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On-orbit assembling space telescope (OAST) is one of the most feasible methods to implement a large-scale space telescope. Unlike a monolithic space telescope (such as Hubble Space Telescope, HST) or a deployable space telescope (such as James Webb Space Telescope, JWST), OAST can be assembled in the spatial environment. To ensure proper telescope performance, OAST must be equipped with a large deployable sunshade. In order to verify the technology of the OAST, the authors propose a modular space telescope on the China Space Station (CSS) and design a deployable sunshade. The deployable mechanism of the sunshade is made up of a radial deployable mechanism and an axial deployable mechanism. The paper describes the overall design approach, the key component technologies, and the design and preliminary testing of a part of the deployable sunshade assembly.

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