In-orbit manufacturing of very long booms

To develop a technology allowing the in-orbit manufacturing of very long, slender composite booms for large aperture applications.  

Techniques to in-orbit manufacture very long booms (from 20m up to approximately 50m and more) have been addressed in the past by looking at in- orbit bonding of thin-walled composite booms. Composite technology also allows the direct manufacturing of a long, continuous, constant cross section beam by means of a pultrusion process, permitting the achievement of lengths, up to 200m, with potential superior accuracy/stability performances. The present activity aims at a re-engineering the pultrusion process in order to make it applicable to in-orbit manufacturing of very long booms. Low power consumption heating system will be a key feature of the re-engineered pultrusion machine. The activity would include the realization of a prototype (BB) pultrusion machine to be operated in vacuum, to demonstrate the feasibility of the in-orbit boom production. Short length booms (100-300mm) will be produced and mechanically tested.