Nasa Solar Panels Origami

Researchers at nasa s jet propulsion laboratory jpl are working on ways to fold up components like solar panels into neat little packages like origami that can then be deployed easily when the.

Nasa solar panels origami.

Both the thumbnail and the footage seen at 1 05 used in this video are from the compliant mechanisms research group cmr at brigham young university. Brian trease a mechanical engineer at nasa s jet propulsion laboratory in pasadena. These panels are light foldable. Nasa developed origami style solar panels to be used in space images courtesy of byu nasa and jpl caltech.

Their 1 20th scale tabletop prototype expands to a deployed diameter of 4 1 feet 1 25 meters. The working tabletop prototype of the. Last year zirbel and trease collaborated with origami expert robert lang and byu professor larry howell to develop a solar array that folds up to be 8 9 feet 2 7 meters in diameter. Origami expert nasa researchers fold solar arrays for space nasa has joined forces with an origami expert to meld art and technology in the creation of foldable solar structures that could one day.

Brian trease at nasa s jet propulsion laboratory has been thinking about how it could be used in spacecraft. Nasa invents a folding solar panel inspired by origami a prototype of a new solar panel inspired by origami. Here s a look at two technologies that block starlight to give telescopes a better view of distant earth like planets. Origami has been a hot topic in technology recently.

Unfold it and you ve got a structure 82 feet 25 meters across. Trease and the team created an origami like fold that can transform an 82 foot 25 meter solar panel into a much more manageable 8 9 foot 2 7 m diameter.