Thermal–structural analysis of large deployable space antenna under extreme heat loads

Large deployable space antennas may be exposed to severe thermal environments in future space missions; extreme heat loads will result in considerable thermal stresses and deformations which seriously affects the accuracy of the antenna's parabolic surface. In this study, thermal–structural finite element analysis of a deployable AstroMesh antenna under extreme heat loads was presented. Considering position and orientation with respect to the Sun and Earth, the antenna's temperature changing law under orbital heat fluxes was first evaluated to find the worst condition as loading point. Analyses for the antenna under different levels of extreme heat loads were then performed to obtain the temperature distributions utilizing an equivalent quarter antenna model. Based on the temperature calculation results and prestress designs, structural analyses were finally made to gain the resulting stresses and deformations. The analysis results show that the existing antenna may generate significant performance distortion under extreme thermal environments; so attentions for reliability and safety under such conditions should be taken seriously in future antenna works. Modeling and analysis method proposed in this article was validated to be contributive in antenna's thermal and precompensation designs.