Abstract
Inflatable structure is the thin membrane which is sustained by high pressure gas inside it, and has attracted a lot of attention for the large structure in space. To verify membrane deployment with inflatable tube on orbit, we are developing the nano-satellite named SPROUT (SPace Research On Unique Technology). The volume and electric power which can be used for the inflation system in nano-satellite are severely limited and the gas leak of the tank is also undesirable. So we proposed the small SMA valve with low power consumption which opens the high pressure gas tank on orbit. We conducted demonstration experiments to verify the effectiveness of the small SMA valve. This paper introduces the details of the small SMA valve and reports the results of experiments.
