Compact Telescoping Array Design and Development

Potential CTA Phase II and Phase III SBIR contracts will build demonstration units representing 17 and 30 kW systems respectively. This will advance CTA technology to TRL 6. Increasing power level step by step advances CTA technology toward larger systems by taking advantage of the natural scalability of the CTA platform. This will bring SEP power class systems 50 kW and higher well within reach. NASA programs involving large solar arrays would be particularly interested in this technology development path as it directly supports mass-critical SEP mission requirements. The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is one relatively near term NASA mission that could benefit from CTA. Following Phase II and Phase III work, Angstrom Designs expects applications should be in the form of purchase contracts with our subcontractor and commercialization partner, Orbital ATK, to supply ARM or other NASA missions with efficient space power. Phase I results show that a CTA system could supply 50 kW for a potential ARM SEP mission delivering metrics of 190 W/kg specific power and 88 kW/m? power density. A future Mars cargo SEP mission could be fitted with 190 kW of CTA power with outstanding metrics: 187 W/kg and 98 kW/m?. Versatile packaging, exceptional performance and solid reliability over a wide range of power classes and g-loads all indicate that the CTA platform lends itself well to future NASA missions.

CTA is primarily the combination of flight-qualified components so the design is inherently lower risk than completely new arrays. After successful completion of the Phase II work, including building and testing a CTA wing, risk will be further reduced and the TRL of CTA will be significantly advanced. Phase II work will further reduce development costs and risks of future programs. CTA?s exceptional metrics and packaging versatility are also of great benefit to the non-NASA, commercial market. Phase II work will advance technology and lower risk to enable commercial infusion beyond NASA. Commercial satellite enterprises will be able to reap the benefits of reduced solar array mass in the form of increased payload capacity and/or reduced launch costs. CTA is also an excellent candidate for the advanced arrays needed for GEO-Comm satellites to take advantage of the cost benefits of using SEP and dual launch. The Phase II demonstrator CTA wing will be representative of a 17 kW system, a power level of interest to the suppliers in the GEO-Comm market. At least two suppliers of commercial satellites, Boeing and Orbital ATK, are currently seeking to replace rigid panel technology with flexible blanket systems in near term programs. Other high probability customers include the department of Defense, Air Force Research Laboratory and foreign governments all of whom have an interest in high power, low mass, low risk, low cost solar arrays. More »