LSS signs contract to deliver Large Deployable Reflector for the CIMR mission
On December 14, 2020, Large Space Structures GmbH signed a contract to deliver a set of Large Deployable Reflectors (LDRs) for the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer CIMR mission, the newest addition to the European Space Agency Copernicus program. This follows closely the signature of the mission contract by Thales Alenia Space with the European Space Agency. Over the next 5 years LSS will develop, manufacture, test and qualify the 8-m class rotating Ka-band reflector entrusted by the European Space Agency, the European Commission, and Europe as a whole. The CIMR deployable reflector development alligns itself with the “non-dependancy in space” principle, realised by a decade of research and development projects funded by the European Space Agency and the European Commission. Two notable milestones in the path of Europe getting access to its own, independant Large Deployable Reflector technology are the SCALABLE demonstrator, and the LEA reflector currently under testing. We are thanking the dedicated team and partners that allowed this historical contract, especially HPS GmbH who is leading the consortium of SMEs delivering the whole Large Deployable Antenna system. We also thank the European Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space for trusting us to develop this critical element and one of the most, if not the most ambitious deployable reflector project. Large Space Structures GmbH (LSS) is a company based near Munich, Germany, founded in 2012 as a spin-off of the Technical University of Munich where its staff had been working on deployable reflectors and advanced composite membranes for more than two decades. It inherited from its academic background a very strong R&D philosophy, still developing break-through materials and technologies in partnership with various institutional, industrial and academic institutions from 0.5 m to >12 m reflectors and from P to W-band. Featured Image Credits: @www.bluecircleproductions.com
Large Deployable Reflector Ready for Testing
Thanks to the dedicated work of partners (HPS, vH&S, INEGI, FHP, RUAG and TICRA amongst other) and its internal team, Large Space Structures GmbH celebrates today a major milestone achievement: the completion of the Design, Analysis, Manufacturing, Assembly and Integration of a X-band Large Deployable Reflector (LDR). Radiofrequency tests to demonstrate the performance of the antenna reflector are currently underway at Airbus Defense and Space GmbH in Munich, as shown in the video below graciously provided by HPS GmbH. LSS GmbH has developed this Large Deployable Reflector in the frame of the EC H2020 Large European Antenna (LEA) project, in a consortium led by HPS GmbH. This milestone is a crucial step towards the development of LDR European technology for non-dependence in space, an effort largely supported by the European Space Agency and the European Commission. Photos: LDR prepared for test at X-band at Airbus RF facility in Munich, Germany.Video: Large Deployable Reflector Antenna – RF Test Campaign / LEA – Large European Antenna (Status Report 09/2019).
Successful RF Testing of Origami CubeSat Antenna
A deployable CubeSat antenna using origami techniques was tested at Thales Alenia Space facilities in Toulouse, France. Operating at 30 GHz (Ka-band), the 41dB antenna is exceptionally small and light, weighting only 600 g and folding into a cylinder of 100 mm diameter and 130 mm in height, while preserving outstanding RF performance. This is an important milestone, demonstrating both origami folding of doubly-curved surface and its application to deployable reflector antenna for space applications. The antenna was designed and manufactured by Large Space Structures GmbH using our FlexRS®-I material technology and OriFlex® origami folding methodology in the scope of the REVOLVE project, together with Thales Alenia Space and Heriot-Watt University. REVOLVE is part of the European Commission’s H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and we thank all partners of the REVOLVE project who made work this possible. Large Space Structures GmbH (LSS) is a company based near Munich, Germany, founded in 2012 as a spin-off of the Technical University of Munich where its staff had been working on deployable reflectors and advanced composite membranes for more than two decades. It inherited from its academic background a very strong R&D philosophy, still developing break-through materials and technologies in partnership with various institutional, industrial and academic institutions from 0.5 m to >12 m reflectors and from P to W-band. FlexRS® is a registered trademark for Large Space Structures GmbH family of RF reflective materials. FlexRS®-I are shell membranes based on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Technology (CFRS). FlexRS®-II are gold-plated, metallic meshes with their supporting cable network. FlexRS®-III are flexible shells based on CFRS technology, for use in deployable reflectors or reconfigurable reflectors. FlexRS® -IV explore special knitting techniques, and for use up to 60GHz. OriFlex® is a registered trademark for Large Space Structures GmbH set of technologies related to the design and analysis of highly compact origami-based deployable reflectors based on its FlexRS® family of RF reflective surfaces. Large Space Structures GmbH is currently hiring. Please consult the career page.