Here's the dilemma: getting heavy things into space is expensive, yet larger, more useful solar panels for satellites weigh a lot. The solution? Make them lighter using the ancient art of Japanese origami. Researchers at Brigham Young University (BYU) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have figured out how to one day create an array 8.9 feet in diameter that could unfold to 82 feet wide. A panel that size could generate 250 kilowatts of power, compared to the current maximum of about 14 kilowatts. The 1/20 scale prototype starts as a satellite-friendly cylindrical shape and expands to a flat, 4.1 foot circular shape by the application of a single force (see the video below). The research was inspired by a technique called the 'Miura fold,' originally developed for a Japanese satellite by astrophysicist Koryo Miura. A larger version could one day beam solar energy back to earth, or even power future spacecraft -- especially now that microwave thrusters are feasible.
[Image credit: Mark A. Philbrick/BYU]
Entities 0 Name: Miura Count: 1 1 Name: BYU Count: 1 2 Name: Koryo Miura Count: 1 3 Name: Brigham Young University Count: 1 4 Name: NASA Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1qjgOfu Title: Origami expert, NASA researchers fold solar arrays for space - CNET Description: NASA has joined forces with an origami expert to meld art and technology in the creation of foldable solar structures that could one day go into space. Most solar panels aren't much to look at. They're flat and functional, not the sort of thing you would display in an art gallery.
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