抄録
Presently, it takes too much time and cost to construct large space systems like International Space Station. It sometimes obliges the program to change configuration of such systems, method of construction, and so on. Social or political affairs also oblige us to change the program itself. Basic design principle for future large space systems needs flexibility against such changes. It can reduce the total cost. On the other hand, conventional design principle of structural optimization has aimed to decide shapes and sized fitted to certain boundary conditions and applied forces. Therefore, it cannot adapt to environment changes. This paper presents a concept of hierarchical modular structures which are able to adapt such changes. The proposed structures consist of a number of same-shaped modules which are hierarchically assembled. They can form various shapes and sizes with the same-shaped modules according to systematical assembly rules. We show their some mechanical properties in this paper.
