Dynamics of the orbiter based construction of structural components for space platforms

A relatively general formulation for studying liberational dynamics of a large class of spacecraft during deployment of arbitrarily oriented beam and plate type flexible members has been developed by the authors. The formulation is applicable to a variety of missions ranging from deployment of antennas, booms and solar panels to manufacturing of trusses for space platforms using the Space Shuttle. The governing nonlinear, nonautonomous and coupled equations of motion are extremely difficult to solve even with the help of a computer, not to mention the cost involved. To get some appreciation as to the complex interaction between flexibility, deployment and attitude dynamics as well as to help pursue stability and control analyses, the procedure is applied to the Space Shuttle based deployment of plate-like members. Results suggest substantial influence of the flexural rigidity of the appendages, deployment velocity, initial conditions, and appendage orientation on the system response. Deployment maneuvers in conjunction with a typical controlled time history of permissible liberational rates suggest flexible plate members to be stable. In general, the instability is triggered through roll excitation leading to unbounded yaw due to coupling. The results should prove useful in planning of the Orbiter based experiments aimed at studying dynamics and control of flexible, deployable structural components needed in construction of space platforms.