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Environmental Disturbance Modeling For Large Inflatable Space Structures, Donald J. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Tightening space budgets and stagnating spacelift capabilities are driving the Air Force and other space agencies to focus on inflatable technology as a reliable, inexpensive means of deploying large structures in orbit. Recent improvements in rigidization techniques make the use these inflatable structures feasible for a growing number of missions. For many of these missions, the primary design requirement is dimensional accuracy of the structure. Finite element analysis offers a means of predicting structural behavior in orbit. The analysis requires knowledge of external loads. This thesis examines the environmental disturbances which act upon large, orbiting structures. Calculations are made on …