Deployable Space Structures
Prosix Engineering
Prosix offers a range of deployable space structures including masts, booms, and antenna reflectors, all utilizing advanced carbon fiber reinforced plastics for lightweight and high-performance solutions.
Technical specifications
- Space deployable masts - length
- 1 – 50 meters long
- Space deployable masts - characteristics
- Ultralight
- Space deployable masts - characteristics (2)
- Utracompact
- Space deployable masts - characteristics (3)
- High stiffness, accuracy and stability
- Space deployable masts - characteristics (4)
- Modular, Scalable
- Space deployable masts - deployment mechanism
- Passive Deployment mechanism
- Space deployable masts - heritage
- Longest, stiffest, lightest, European mast deployed in 0 g conditions
- Full carbon self deployable booms - length
- Up to 28 m
- Full carbon self deployable booms - material
- Full CFRP
- Full carbon self deployable booms - mechanisms
- No metallic mechanisms needed
- Full carbon self deployable booms - characteristics
- Extremely light and accurate
- Full carbon self deployable booms - payload capability
- Carries tip masses such as reflectors or magnetometers
- Full carbon self deployable booms - deployment
- Damped deployment
- Full carbon self deployable booms - material (2)
- 100% Carbon Fiber
- Space deployable antenna reflectors - diameter
- 0,5 a 16m diameter
- Space deployable antenna reflectors - characteristics
- ultracompact
- Space deployable antenna reflectors - characteristics (2)
- ultraprecisa
- Space deployable antenna reflectors - characteristics (3)
- Repetitive aperture
- Space deployable antenna reflectors - qualification
- Space qualified structures
- Space deployable antenna reflectors - characteristics (4)
- Scalability allows to grow in size by employing conventional truss-structure principles
- Space deployable antenna reflectors - characteristics (5)
- Modularity allows further growth, with reduced development costs
- Carbon fiber feeds - material
- 100% CFRP
- Carbon fiber feeds - application
- designed specifically for C band frequencies
- Carbon fiber feeds - mass density
- 40% lighter than it´s Aluminum predecessor
- Carbon fiber feeds - availability
- Available in a variety of shapes, bands and sizes
- Carbon tube struts - material
- Integral full cfrp
- Carbon tube struts - weight saving
- Up to 80% of the bulk can be saved
- Carbon tube struts - thermal expansion
- near zero
- Hybrid cfrp struts - tube materials
- Composite material tubes (CFRP, GFRP)
- Hybrid cfrp struts - fitting materials
- Variety of metallic fittings (aluminium, titanium, invar, etc.)
- Hybrid cfrp struts - manufacturing
- In prepreg cured into autoclave or out of autoclave
About
Prosix specializes in the development and manufacturing of deployable space structures, leveraging over two decades of expertise. Their solutions incorporate high-performance materials like carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) to ensure lightweight precision. These structures are designed to revolutionize satellite components and support groundbreaking research programs.
The product line includes:
SPACE DEPLOYABLE MASTS: These masts feature modular construction, combining CFRP materials with cutting-edge technology. They are designed to be lightweight, durable, and cost-effective, with reversible deployment and folding. The goal is enhanced predictability and ground testability for deployable booms, with designs tolerant of manufacturing imperfections and simple, reliable deployment systems. They are ultralight, ultracompact, and offer high stiffness, accuracy, and stability. They are modular and scalable, featuring a passive deployment mechanism. Prosix claims to have developed the longest, stiffest, lightest European mast deployed in 0g conditions.
FULL CARBON SELF DEPLOYABLE BOOMS: These articulated space booms are ultralight and made entirely of carbon fiber, enabling reliable and accurate deployment of instruments and systems. They feature passive and damped self-deployment to minimize the risk of high inertia and shock loads during deployment. These booms allow for multiple folding and unfolding cycles at various velocities, depending on mission requirements, reducing structural vibration responses and deployment shocks on elastic hinges. They can carry tip masses such as reflectors or magnetometers.
SPACE DEPLOYABLE ANTENNA REFLECTORS: Prosix provides low-weight, compactly deployable support structures suitable for large and small deployable apertures. They design complex shapes with positive or negative curvature, capable of multiple reversible deployment and folding processes. These are space-qualified structures with scalability and modularity for growth and reduced development costs.
CARBON FIBER FEEDS (Space Horns): Prosix offers disruptive technologies in the space sector, including the first corrugated horn made of 100% CFRP designed specifically for C-band frequencies. These are significantly lighter than aluminum predecessors (40% lighter in mass density) and are available in various shapes, bands, and sizes.
CARBON TUBE STRUTS: These integral full CFRP struts are a breakthrough, made from integrated pieces of carbon fiber that compose the fittings, aiding versatility and optimization of production. They are ultra-lightweight, saving up to 80% of bulk depending on length and application, and exhibit near-zero thermal expansion. Attachment brackets are integrated into the strut design, reducing the number of pieces.
HYBRID CFRP STRUTS: These struts combine composite material tubes (CFRP, GFRP) with metallic fittings (aluminum, titanium, invar, etc.) that meet space industry standards. Material selection and layout are customized based on application and desired characteristics, with options for prepreg cured in or out of an autoclave.
SENSORING NET BRAGG IN CARBON FIBER STRUCTURES: Prosix specializes in the development and production of components with integrated structural health monitoring systems using cutting-edge fiber optic systems (Bragg gratings) for damage detection within composite structures. These components can operate autonomously throughout the operational life of the structure, guaranteeing integrity and reliability. They can develop components ranging from small simple parts to large complex space isogrid structures with this health monitoring capability.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.