Characterization of deployable ultrathin composite boom for microsatellites excited by attitude maneuvers

Composite booms are often adopted onboard spacecraft to modify inertia properties and/or to move instrument as far as possible from the influence of the platform bus. In the frame of the current trend towards smaller spacecraft, also microsatellites are increasingly equipped with these deployable appendages. Due to limited volume and mass available on these platforms, the design of the boom is more challenging and a validation of the proposed system is crucial. The paper details, from the structural dynamics point of view, the numerical and experimental validation campaign for a 1-meter boom purposely designed and built in composite material for a microsatellite platform. The experimental validation was carried out by using a free-floating platform and while simulating the loads experienced during an in-orbit attitude re-orientation maneuver. The complete architecture of the platform, including solar panels’ appendages with related flexibility issues as well as the thrusters for actuation, provides for the credibility and the interest of the validation outcome