Composite Spacecraft Structures and Booms

Composite Technology Development (CTD) is a Boulder, Colorado-based company specializing in high-performance composite structures for space — including deployable booms, precision antenna reflectors, solar array substrates, and structural panels for satellite primary structures. CTD was founded in 1993 and focuses on applying advanced polymer matrix composites to the unique demands of the space environment.

CTD’s deployable composite booms are used for deploying solar arrays, magnetometers, and antennas at controlled distances from the satellite bus to avoid electromagnetic interference. Carbon fiber booms with extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) maintain dimensional stability across the wide temperature cycles experienced in LEO orbit. CTD’s bistable composites (thermally deployable using shape-memory polymers) enable very compact stowage with reliable self-deploying extension.

CTD also makes ultra-lightweight carbon fiber honeycomb sandwich panels for satellite equipment decks and structural walls, achieving high stiffness-to-mass ratios that minimize launch mass. The company has been a frequent supplier to JPL, NASA Goddard, and commercial satellite manufacturers. CTD also develops radiation-resistant polymer matrix materials for the GEO belt environment and manufactures antenna dish reflectors and solar concentrator substrates requiring optical-grade surface finish.