SPACECRAFT BODY WITH ROLLER MECHANISM FOR DEPLOYABLE-RETRACTABLE THIN FILM SOLAR ARRAY

摘要

Rotatable, roller booms are carried by an extendable member which moves outward from a spacecraft body with one end of each flexible solar cell panel rigidly coupled to the spacecraft body and the other end rigidly coupled to the periphery of a rotatable roller boom. During deployment, the solar cell panels which are rolled up on the roller booms unwind. A spring-operated negator motor coupled to the rotating boom at one end and to the fixed housing at the end of the deployment member, winds up during deployment of the solar cell panel to facilitate retracting of the thin film solar array by rewinding the flexible solar panels about the periphery of the roller booms.