New deployment system of precise rigid petal reflector

The new deployment system for a precise rigid petal reflector is proposed and investigated. The deployment of the reflector is performed in two stages. At the first stage, the reflector is transferred from the folded (transport) state to a state close to the deployed (working) one. At the second stage, a high-precision fixation of the final deployed state is performed. To achieve this, a new type of self-setting locks based on kinematic couplings of a novel design is used. Results of computer simulations of the new deployment system are presented. To validate the proposed technical solutions, a physical model of the reflector with a diameter of one meter, consisting of twenty-three petals and a central mirror, was manufactured. This model serves as an experimental platform for testing deployment kinematics, evaluating structural stiffness, and assessing deployment repeatability. Results of both computer and physical simulations are discussed. The problem of numerical measurement of deployment repeatability is addressed. An optical 3D scanning method is employed for this purpose. Measurement results of the physical model demonstrate that the self-setting locks ensure petal positioning accuracy at the level of 0.1 mm without active mirror shape correction.