Date of Award

3-2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

First Advisor

Richard G. Cobb, PhD

Abstract

Inflatable, rigidizable structures provide a solution to reduce the costs associated with design, fabrication and launch of a space system while simultaneously increasing the deployment reliability and mission success of the system%. This research focused on the follow on design, fabrication, and ground test of the Rigidizable Inflatable Get-Away-Special Experiment (RIGEX). RIGEX is a self-contained experiment that will test the deployment and structural characteristics of three inflatable rigidizable tubes. Once inflated and rigidized, each tube will be excited using piezoelectric transducers in order to collect vibration data for structural characterization. The goal of this research was to collect ground testing data that will later be used in conjunction with actual space flight results in an effort to validate ground testing methodologies.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GA-ENY-03-3

DTIC Accession Number

ADA413193

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