Advanced Design for Lightweight Space Materials and Structural Systems

A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310). This special issue belongs to the section "Astronautics & Space Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2478

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, 76, Hanggongdaehak-ro, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si 10540, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
Interests: satellite and payload thermo-mechanical system; cube satellite system and relevant technologies; vibration control for space applications; smart materials and structures for space applications; spaceborne mechanism; on-orbit thermal design and control; multi-functional structure; thermo-mechanical design of spaceborne electronics; satellite AIT (Assembly Integration and Test)
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

"Better, faster, and cheaper"—the new space paradigm encompasses the mass production of structures for space missions at low cost. Within this trend, lightweight structures and advanced materials have been identified as critical needs since reducing structural mass directly impacts cost and mass capability, facilitating additional logistics competencies for all missions. Therefore, innovative materials and structures for space are actively being developed, along with optimization techniques and high-reliability structural design methodologies aimed at weight reduction. These advancements will enhance space mission performance and serve as key cornerstones for future space exploration.

Aligned with these efforts, this Special Issue covers a spectrum of relevant technologies, including structural design methodologies, optimization techniques, and advanced materials to achieve lightweight spaceborne structures. The detailed scope of the Special Issue encompasses a range of innovative lightweight structures, advancements in materials for metals, composites, ceramics, and fabrics, large deployable structures, as well as multi-functional/purpose materials and structures. Additionally, submissions on other topics related to structures and materials are encouraged for inclusion in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Hyun-Ung Oh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • new space paradigm
  • lightweight
  • structural design
  • advanced material

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 7191 KiB  
Article
Experimental Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Printed Circuit Board Strain-Based Methodology in Space-Borne Electronics with Vertically Mounted Printed Circuit Boards
by Kwang-Woo Kim, Jae-Hyeon Park, Tae-Yong Park and Hyun-Ung Oh
Aerospace 2024, 11(7), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11070562 - 9 Jul 2024
Viewed by 578
Abstract
The Oh-Park methodology was proposed to overcome the limitations of Steinberg’s theory for evaluating the structural safety of space-borne electronics and has been experimentally verified at the printed circuit board (PCB) specimen level for various types of electronic packages, such as ball grid [...] Read more.
The Oh-Park methodology was proposed to overcome the limitations of Steinberg’s theory for evaluating the structural safety of space-borne electronics and has been experimentally verified at the printed circuit board (PCB) specimen level for various types of electronic packages, such as ball grid arrays (BGAs), column grid arrays (CGAs), and small-outline packages (SOPs). However, it is necessary to validate the design methodology because the PCB mounted on the housing is affected by the elastic mode of the mechanical housing. In addition, although the validity of the existing theory based on critical strain has been verified for horizontally mounted structures, there are cases where PCBs are mounted vertically. Therefore, it is essential to consider the dynamic influence of the boundary conditions of mounted electronics. In this study, electronics specimens with corresponding boundary conditions were fabricated, and a fatigue-life test was performed. In addition, a structural analysis using Steinberg’s theory and the Oh-Park methodology was performed, and the results were compared with those of the fatigue-life test. The results showed that the analysis using the Oh-Park methodology accurately represented the test results, and the validity of the Oh-Park methodology for vertical electronics was verified experimentally. Full article
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13 pages, 3823 KiB  
Article
Optimization Design of Core Ultra-Stable Structure for Space Gravitational Wave Detection Satellite Based on Response Surface Methodology
by Changru Liu, Zhenbang Xu, Kang Han, Chengshan Han and Tao He
Aerospace 2024, 11(7), 518; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11070518 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 911
Abstract
In order to meet the urgent demand for novel zero-expansion materials and ultra-stable structures in space gravitational wave detection, it is necessary to develop an ultra-stable structural spacecraft system. This paper focuses on the research of the optimization of the core ultra-stable structure [...] Read more.
In order to meet the urgent demand for novel zero-expansion materials and ultra-stable structures in space gravitational wave detection, it is necessary to develop an ultra-stable structural spacecraft system. This paper focuses on the research of the optimization of the core ultra-stable structure design of spacecraft, proposing a cross-scale parameterized model of structural deformation response and a multi-objective optimization method. By satisfying the prerequisites of mass and fundamental frequency, this paper breaks through the limitations of current linear analysis methods, and the overall thermal deformation of nonlinear material composite structures is optimized by modifying structural parameters. Full article
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14 pages, 4466 KiB  
Article
Design and Rate Control of Large Titanium Alloy Springs for Aerospace Applications
by Lei Li, Qiufa Xu, Haiying Yang, Yang Ying, Zuhan Cao, Dizi Guo and Vincent Ji
Aerospace 2024, 11(7), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11070514 - 25 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 756
Abstract
During the separation between satellite and launch vehicles, large steel springs are often used as compression separation spring sets in a catapult separation system. Replacing the steel springs with titanium alloy springs could reduce weight by about 50%. Although titanium alloy springs have [...] Read more.
During the separation between satellite and launch vehicles, large steel springs are often used as compression separation spring sets in a catapult separation system. Replacing the steel springs with titanium alloy springs could reduce weight by about 50%. Although titanium alloy springs have been widely used in the aerospace field due to their excellent performance, there are few reports on the design of high-precision titanium alloy springs. The current spring design standards mainly focus on steel springs with helix angles between 5° and 9°, which are not applicable to titanium springs. Moreover, the change in spring rate with ambient temperature should also be considered. In this paper, β-C titanium alloy was used to design and prepare large compression separation springs, replacing steel springs in the catapult separation system. The design of titanium alloy springs took into account the big helix angle. The relationship between helix angle and the number of active coils was calculated. The parameters of titanium alloy springs were determined by the shear stress of the spring at working length. The effects of aging temperature and aging duration on the mechanical properties and modulus of β-C alloy were studied. By adjusting the aging process, the β-C alloy spring rate was controlled to meet the design requirements. The effect of ambient temperature on the mechanical properties and modulus of β-C titanium alloy were also investigated. It was found that as the ambient temperature increased, the rate of the β-C alloy spring gradually decreased. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Development of Lightweight 6 m Deployable Mesh Reflector Antenna Mechanisms based on a Superelastic Shape Memory Alloy
Authors: Jae-Seop Choi; Tae-Yong Park; Bong-Geon Chae; Hyun-Ung Oh
Affiliation: Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, 76, Hanggongdaehak-ro, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 10540, Republic of Korea
Abstract: This paper describes the design and experimental verification of a 6 m parabolic deployable mesh reflector antenna mechanism based on a superelastic shape memory alloy. This antenna mainly consists of a deployable primary reflector with a superelastic shape memory alloy-based hinge mechanism and a fixed-type secondary reflector mast, where a rotary-type holding and release mechanism and deployment speed control system are installed. The main feature of this antenna is the application of a superelastic shape memory alloy to the mechanism, which has the advantages of plastic deformation resistance, high damping, and fatigue resistance. A shape memory alloy is applied to the hinge mechanism of each primary reflector rib and to the rotary-type holding and release mechanism as a deployment mechanism. In addition, a superelastic shape memory alloy wire is applied to the antenna in the circumferential direction to maintain the curvature of the primary reflector. The effectiveness of the proposed mechanism design was verified through repeated deployment tests on models of the superelastic shape memory alloy-based hinge mechanism and the antenna system.

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