CPC H01Q 1/1235 (2013.01) [H01Q 1/08 (2013.01); H01Q 1/288 (2013.01)] | 29 Claims |
1. An antenna system for space applications, the antenna system comprising:
a membrane antenna including one or more flexible membranes;
an antenna enclosure configured to store the membrane antenna during stowage;
one or more first deployable support structures configured to extend along a first axis from the antenna enclosure during deployment, at least a first point of the membrane antenna being operably anchored to a point on the one or more first deployable support structures; and
one or more deployment mechanisms operably anchored at a junction the one or more first deployable support structures, wherein the junction is separated from the antenna enclosure in a first direction along the first axis and is disposed on the one or more first deployable structures, the one or more deployment mechanisms being configured to extend one or more second deployable support structures from the junction along a second axis from the one or more first deployable support structures during deployment, at least a second point of the membrane antenna being operably anchored to a point on the one or more second deployable support structures, wherein extension of the one or more first deployable support structures and the one or more second deployable support structures unfurls the membrane antenna along the first axis and the second axis to overlap the junction.
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