Design, analysis, manufacture and testing of the spacecraft mirror antenna with the composite high precision and size-stable solid surface reflector

Abstract

A new design of composite high precision dimension-stable solid surface reflector of the spacecraft mirror antenna is presented in the paper. Outstanding characteristics of the reflector are ensured by its closed structure composed of jointed shells made of carbon fibre reinforced polymer. The physical prototype of the reflector with the aperture diameter of 0.8 m, focal distance of 0.23 m and specific mass 0.8kg/m2 was built, numerically analysed, and tested. The root mean square deviation of the reflector surface from the paraboloid was equal to 0.0385 mm. The structure was subjected to dynamic and thermal loads. Under dynamic loading, sinusoidal and random vibrations have been induced. Such loadings replicated the dynamic loads exerted during the injection of the spacecraft into Earth’s orbit. The thermal loads corresponded to the temperature range typical for the spacecraft orbiting the Earth. The numerical and experimental studies confirmed a capability of the reflector structure to withstand the dynamic and thermal loads. The design of the mirror antenna with the composite solid surface reflector has sufficient stiffness, dimensional stability, and low mass.