Sounding Rocket Flight Experiment for Demonstrating

Paper number

IAC-05-C3.3.01

Author

Prof. Shinichi Nakasuka, University of Tokyo, Japan

Coauthor

Mr. Tsukasa Funane, University of Tokyo, Japan

Coauthor

Dr. Nobuyuki Kaya, Kobe University, Japan

Coauthor

Mr. Mitsuhito Komatsu, University of Tokyo, Japan

Coauthor

Mr. Kenji Nakada, University of Tokyo, Japan

Coauthor

Dr. Yuya Nakamura, University of Tokyo, Japan

Coauthor

Mr. Yuta Nojiri, University of Tokyo, Japan

Coauthor

Dr. Hironori Sahara, University of Tokyo, Japan

Coauthor

Mr. Fumiki Sasaki, University of Tokyo, Japan

Year

2005

Abstract

University of Tokyo and Kobe University are planning a sounding rocket experiment of large membrane or net structure "Furoshiki Satellite" extension and large phased array RF transmission.  The paper will describe the concept of "Furoshiki Satellite," its application to phased array antenna, and the scenario of micro gravity experiment using a small sounding rocket.

University of Tokyo has been proposing the idea of "Furoshiki Satellite," a large membrane or a net structure, say 1km by 1km in size, extended by satellites which hold its corners.  The attitude and the shape of the membrane or net structure is controlled by these corner satellites.  As one application of Furoshiki Satellite, a large phased array antenna can be configured by several RF transmitters placed on several parts of the large net structure.  It is difficult to control the position and attitude of the RF transmitters precisely, but using the "retro-directive" method, the tolerance of such position and attitude disturbance will be relaxed by large.  This is one of promising systems' concept of the future large solar power satellite or large antenna, because quite a large area can be obtained without any hard structure, and the weight will not depend very much on the size.

To demonstrate the feasibility of the extension of large net structure and phased array performance, micro-gravity experiment is planned using a sounding rocket of ISAS, Japan, in summer of 2005. 

The objectives of the experiment are to examine:
1)	How to fold and extend Furoshiki net without tangling.
2)	The dynamics of the satellites and net during the extension
3)	The RF transmission performance of the phased array antenna on the Furoshiki type large net structure
4)	The feasibility of a robot crawling on a net structure extended in this way.

Abstract document

IAC-05-C3.3.01.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-05-C3.3.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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