A Flight Demonstration Experiment of an Inflatable Extendable Mast on Board a Sounding Rocket

Abstract

JAXA's sounding rocket flights are confined to brief durations of five to ten minutes, a limitation that is inherently too brief compared to most spacecraft missions. In contrast, researchers concerning of inflatable structures might find focusing on shorter missions advantageous, as it facilitates the creation of practical systems capable of operating in space without the need for rigidizing. This study focuses on inflatable structures that can be implemented within brief time scales. In space, these inflatable structures are expected to serve as supporting devices for various JAXA sounding rocket experiments. For demonstration purposes, a space experiment was proposed using a JAXA sounding rocket, in which an equilateral triangular extension mast was constructed at low cost. This mast, measuring 3m in total length with cross-sectional sides of 18 cm, was engineered as a truss structure using inflatable polyimide tubes. In the space demonstration experiment with the S-520-33, which was successfully conducted, the mast, composed of an inflatable truss, extended as designed. During this process, the effectiveness of the launch-locking method, which is used to transport the stowed inflatable structure to space, was confirmed. Static (shape realization accuracy) and dynamic (vibration) characteristics of the inflatable structure were measured aboard the mast following deployment.