Inflatable Antennas in Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Environments
- Paper number
IAC-06-B3.2.05
- Author
Ms. Naomi Mathers, Victorian Space Science Education Centre, Australia
- Coauthor
Prof. Lachlan Thompson, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The ability to design and manufacture inflatable structures to ever increasing accuracy has made it possible to apply inflatable structures to communications applications where shape accuracy is critical. Advancements in material and manufacturing technologies have improved our ability to achieve greater shape and surface accuracy with inflatable structures and the capacity to simulate the dynamic response of flexible structures has increased our understanding of their behaviour. As the gain of parabolic dish antennas is directly related to the aperture of the dish, maximum dish diameter and minimum weight are key drivers of the technology. At the same time the performance of a parabolic dish antenna is directly related to its shape and surface accuracy. Articulated antennas have been explored as a possible alternative to rigid antennas on Earth and the Moon but the reduction in weight and stowed volume is minimal and their shape and surface accuracy inadequate. The use of inflatable structures for portable communications applications in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments increases the mobility of the system and reduces the cost associated with transportation or launch. If a human mission is to return to the moon or proceed to Mars payload weight and volume will be critical and reliable communication essential. The successful deployment of the Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE) by L’Garde in 1996 demonstrated that a shape accuracy of within 2mm RMS is achievable with a 15m diameter inflatable parabolic reflector in the space environment. The work by Mathers et al, has demonstrated that it is possible to develop an inflatable parabolic dish antenna for use under terrestrial conditions. This paper examines the mechanisms used to achieve the shape and surface accuracy required under a range of environmental conditions and the possibilities this technology offers in a range of terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-B3.2.05.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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