Passive Modular Ring-Truss Deployment of a Large-Area Membrane Aperture from a 1U CubeSat Volume

The increasing operational demands placed on CubeSat platforms have intensified the challenge of accommodating large deployable apertures within severely constrained launch volumes. This study investigates a compact deployable membrane payload capable of stowing entirely within a 1U CubeSat volume while achieving a substantially larger deployed area.
The proposed system combines a modular collapsible ring-truss with a kirigami-folded gossamer membrane. The supporting structure is composed of repeated interwoven truss modules, each formed from two intersecting longeron bundle sets.
Localised weaving at the central intersection of each module produces pivot-like behaviour without conventional pin joints at the mid-point interface, while the terminal ends of the longeron bundles are mechanically fastened to adjacent modules via discrete linkage elements.
Each truss module functions as a compliant rotational unit, with adjacent modules connected by articulated linkages that define the ring geometry and provide attachment points for actuation. This hybrid architecture enables controlled articulation between modules while allowing limited relative motion at the woven intersections, providing passive accommodation of asymmetric or non-ideal deployment sequences.
Shape memory alloy (SMA) spring actuators attached across the inter-module linkages facilitate fully passive, motor-free deployment, eliminating the need for pyrotechnic or burn-wire release mechanisms. Contracting SMA actuators, drive radial expansion from the linkages of the ring-truss while simultaneously tensioning the attached membrane.
This early phase developmental investigation incorporates CAD-based configuration modelling, experimental prototyping, finite-element stress analysis of the woven interfaces, and multibody dynamic simulation of the deployment sequence. Kirigami folding patterns were developed parametrically and validated both numerically and experimentally using a polygonal flasher assembled from laser-cut aluminised polymer membranes.

Results demonstrate that compact stowage, repeatable deployment, and stable membrane tensioning are achievable within a 1U constraint. The concept is applicable to CubeSat-scale solar arrays, drag devices, antennas, and large-area sensing payloads, providing a low-complexity, passive pathway to high deployment ratios.