This article was automatically translated from the original Spanish version. Read the original in Spanish.
Design is a fundamental part of engineering and of the development of any product, from something as simple as an everyday object to something as complex as a spacecraft. Aerospace design, applied to space missions, spacecraft, satellites, rockets, and vehicles such as orbiters or rovers, requires a multidisciplinary approach spanning materials science and propulsion to human factors and safety. However, aerospace design is not so different from product design, especially in terms of design principles and practices and the emphasis on user-centered design. In this blog post, we’ll cover the design processes used in product design and aerospace design, highlighting some similarities between both fields and emphasizing the particular terms used in the aerospace field.
The design process
The typical design process looks like this: it starts from a concept that is studied, developed, and keeps evolving while it is produced, tested, and operated until the end of its life cycle. This means design is generally an iterative process, where each stage ends with a version that has improved characteristics or functionality.
In the aerospace field, the design process is framed within Systems Engineering — not referring to the undergraduate degree related to information and communication technologies offered under that name, but rather to what NASA defines as a methodical, multidisciplinary approach to the design, development, operation, maintenance, and retirement of a system. A “system” is understood as a combination of elements that work together to produce the capability required to meet a need.
The NASA Systems Engineering Handbook describes the following phases of a project’s life cycle:
Use of deployable structures in aerospace
In the aerospace field, due to the costs and transportation restrictions on space vehicles or launchers, the use of deployable structures is essential. These structures allow the size of payloads to be reduced at launch while preserving the functionality of the devices.
The JWST space telescope, launched in December 2021, is the largest and most complex infrared science observatory ever sent into space. Its main components include a huge primary mirror to collect infrared light, a large sunshield to keep the telescope cool, and four scientific instruments to carry out its scientific operations. To get an idea of the dimensions of this giant telescope, its main mirror rises more than two floors high and, once deployed, its protective sunshield is about the size of a tennis court.
However, in order to be launched into space, the launcher — an Ariane 5 rocket — had to be taken into account, which is why the telescope was folded down to about a quarter of its full size. Once in space, it was gradually deployed as it made its way to orbit.
JWST telescope dimensions. Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
JWST telescope folded and positioned on the Ariane 5. Source: NASA
Challenges of deployable structures
Although origami-based structures have many advantages, such as ease of transport and storage, there are also several challenges associated with their use. These structures are complex, since they have moving parts and actuators that must fold and unfold according to the desired configuration, ensuring high reliability in the final geometry and functionality of the structure. Analysis and computational simulation become an important tool that makes it possible to visualize and test their behavior so that these structures can be successfully used in space.
Analysis and design of origami-based deployable structures
This project seeks to develop methods to design and analyze origami-type deployable structures, mainly for aerospace applications. To do so, a review of the state of the art regarding the modeling of origami-type deployable structures will be carried out. In addition, algorithms will be implemented to analyze origami-type deployable structures using available open-source software. Finally, the simulation capabilities of the developed methods will be evaluated through an experimental proof of concept.
This project is carried out together with Fundación Cydonia, dedicated to aerospace development in Colombia. This foundation is responsible for the design, construction, and operation of the Simulated Analog Space Exploration Habitat in Colombia (HAdEES-C), the first simulation habitat for analog missions built in Colombia. Its facilities make it possible to simulate some of the conditions of Mars or the Moon here on Earth, and to test aspects related to crewed space travel and planetary exploration.
References
Tibert, Gunnar. 2002. “Deployable tensegrity structures for space applications”. PhD Thesis, KTH.