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Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S) †Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles 3550 Aberdeen Ave SE SPONSOR/MONITOR'S REPORTKirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776 Government Purpose Rights ABSTRACTTape springs are of interest to the space structures community because of their high packaging ratios, ability to self-deploy, and high stiffness-to-mass ratios. The current drive to lightweight telescopes has focused mostly on decreasing the mass of the mirrors, yet decreasing the mass of the support structure may also generate significant mass savings. Here the use of carbon-fiber-composite tape springs is examined as a potential support structure of a secondary mirror in a Cassegrain-type telescope configuration. For the tape springs to be useful in this capacity, they must exhibit deployment precision to levels consistent with optical control systems. Deployment repeatability of such structures is investigated through simplified sensing configurations that include a linear structural element and a tripod comprised of carbon-fiber-composite tape springs supporting a simulated secondary mirror. Single tape springs showed deployment repeatability on the order of 100 microns, while the tripod configuration showed deployment repeatability on the order of 50 microns. Tape springs are of interest to the space structures community because of their high packaging ratios, ability to self-deploy, and high stiffness-to-mass ratios. The current drive to lightweight telescopes has focused mostly on decreasing the mass of the mirrors, yet decreasing the mass of the support structure may also generate significant mass savings. SUBJECT TERMSHere the use of carbon-fiber-composite tape springs is examined as a potential support structure of a secondary mirror in a Cassegrain-type telescope configuration. For the tape springs to be useful in this capacity, they must exhibit deployment precision to levels consistent with optical control systems. Deployment repeatability of such structures is investigated through simplified sensing configurations that include a linear structural element and a tripod comprised of carbon-fiber-composite tape springs supporting a simulated secondary mirror. Single tape springs showed deployment repeatability on the order of 100 microns, while the tripod configuration showed deployment repeatability on the order of 50 microns.

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