Deployment & Positioning
Solar Panel Hinge
Product Features
Honeybee Robotics designed, tested, and delivered these flight-qualified custom hinges to AeroAstro for integration with their Space Test Program satellite (STPSat1), scheduled to be completed and launched in 2006. STPSat1 is a highly capable three-axis stabilized space platform whose mission is in part to demonstrate new, lower-cost technologies for future space applications. The hinges are designed to reliably deploy a solar panel array from the satellite according to exacting specifications.
Each hinge features a torsion spring capable of driving it 125 degrees from its stowed- to deployed position. They are outfitted with two embedded microswitches (to detect both stowed and deployed positions) and latching/locking keys, that stop the hinge when fully deployed and wedge the plate against a hardstop to eliminate free-play. The hinges were successfully tested for stiffness, strength, and functionality across a range of thermal conditions while at maximum misalignment and were delivered to the client on schedule and within budget.