Structural Design Methodology for Large Space Structures
Abstract
The Department of Defense requires research and development in designing, fabricating, deploying, and maintaining large space structures (LSS) in support of Army and Strategic Defense Initiative military objectives. Because of their large size, extreme flexibility, and the unique loading conditions in the space environment, LSS will present engineers with problems unlike those encountered in designing conventional civil engineering or aerospace structures. LSS will require sophisticated passive damping and active control systems in order to meet stringent mission requirements. These structures must also be optimally designed to minimize high launch costs. This report outlines a methodology for the structural design of LSS. It includes a definition of mission requirements, structural modeling and analysis, passive damping and active control system design, ground-based testing, payload integration, on- orbit system verification, and on-orbit assessment of structural damage. In support of this methodology, analyses of candidate LSS truss configurations are presented, and an algorithm correlating ground-based test behavior to expected microgravity behavior is developed. Structural design, Large Space Structures(LSS).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA247672
Entities
People
- Ralph J. Dornsife
Organizations
- Construction Engineering Research Laboratory