Space-deployable device based on shape memory cyanate ester composites

Abstract

Shape memory cyanate ester is a class of shape memory polymers with high thermal stability and excellent space environmental adaptability. In this study, a space-deployable device based on cyanate ester-based shape memory polymer composite (CE-SMPC) was proposed, and its thermomechanical properties and shape memory behavior were experimentally evaluated. The space-deployable device maintained a high shape fixity rate even after prolonged exposure to high or low temperatures, which ensured its locking reliability in space applications. The results of self-deployment experiments indicated that the space-deployable device exhibited good shape recovery performance in both atmospheric and vacuum environments. The SMPC-based space-deployable device presented in this study was applied to China's first Mars exploration mission to achieve autonomous locking and release of the deployable engineering measurement subsystem on the probe.