Attachment_1-_Statement_of_Objectives.pdf

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

Wide-area Expandable Backing Structure (WEBS)

Dated: 18 March 2019

Large deployable structures are vital in space applications for their ability to deliver significant capabilities from compact packages. Modern space-based missions, including communications and Earth observation missions, require structures that support high gain (and consequently larger) antenna apertures.

Additionally, more precise antenna surfaces are required for higher frequency missions. In order to deploy these large precision apertures, new and novel deployable structures and metrology approaches must be developed that offer a combination of affordability, simplicity, stability, and high-compaction ratios.

Today, structures are volume optimized rather than mass optimized to package into launch vehicle fairings (as a primary payload) or a secondary payload adapter volume (as a secondary payload). Future spacecraft will be volume limited as well. Advances in electronics packaging have yielded lighter and thinner apertures. New structures are needed to support these apertures to take advantage of their reduced weight and volume to enable lighter, larger, and more compactly stowed antennas for space.

The Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV) is seeking proposals that outline novel concepts for large, high compaction, deployable antenna structures with deployed dimensions on the order of 36 x 36 meters. The focus of this call is to reduce risk for future Air Force space missions. Efforts will include basic and advanced research, and advanced component and technology development. Work will span the range from concept and laboratory experimentation to testing or demonstration in a relevant environment. Offerors shall address all listed efforts in the SOO, as follows:

Base Effort – 12 Months

Proposals must discuss large space structures state-of-the-art including on-orbit size, launch volume, metrology approaches, affordability, and complexity and how the proposed technology improves those metrics. Proposals must discuss methods for the design, build, and test of a subscale ground demonstration unit, and justify how the chosen scale validates structural feasibility for a full scale 36 x 36 meter operational system.

A proposed ground demonstration unit should be of sufficient scope to achieve a high level of confidence for future Air Force missions. Ground demonstration unit does not need to be a full scale 36 x 36 meter unit. Designs should optimize characteristics including but not limited to: areal ratio (aperture area per stowed volume), structural mass, deployed precision, deployed repeatability, deployed frequency, flexural stiffness, and torsional stiffness. Consideration should be given to relevant thermal and radiation environmental conditions. Methods to validate thermal and structural models should be discussed. These models should be applicable to subscale and full scale structures. The structure shall be designed with considerations for other satellite subsystem requirements to the maximum extent possible.

Option – 24 Months

Proposals shall include a well outlined plan for an OPTION effort to develop and test a flight quality demonstration unit. The proposal should discuss onboard sensing required for a maintaining on-orbit structural performance.

Flight quality unit shall include the deployable structure, metrology solution, as well as a mass and volume representative aperture with hardware delivery by first quarter FY 2022, to demonstrate deployment on orbit in fourth quarter FY 2022. Flight quality unit need not be full scale, but should demonstrate feasibility of the full scale structure. Tasks will include but are not limited to: hardware and mechanism development/fabrication; test fixture design; environmental and functional testing; identification of critical

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

Wide-area Expandable Backing Structure (WEBS)

Dated: 18 March 2019 performance parameters, identification of material or performance limits, survivability analysis, interface design, flight data analysis, preparation for flight demonstration, and execution of flight demonstration.