Preliminary Design and Optimization of a CubeSat Demonstrator for an Origami-inspired Deployable Structure

Abstract

The demand for pressurized, large structures in space, such as habitats or fuel deposits, is increasing as the space industry grows. The limited payload volume of launch vehicles, combined with their highly constrained shape, presents a significant challenge for these structures. Origami-inspired deployable structures have emerged as a potential solution for this problem. This work aims to design and optimize an origami-inspired deployable structure for use as a technology demonstrator in a 12U CubeSat. The choice of pattern, deployment mechanism, and material considerations are discussed as they are relevant in the initial configuration of the structural prototype. By combining two different types of printable materials, it is possible to create a pattern that is more flexible without the use of mechanical hinges. Then two different modeling methods are analyzed in order to study their physical behavior. Once all the desired configurations are computed, an optimization process is applied in order to obtain the most suitable one under the pre-defined requirements.