Fabrication of a graphite/epoxy antenna for the Viking Orbiter spacecraftA graphite/epoxy composite high-gain antenna has been developed for the Viking Orbiter 1975 spacecraft. A thin-skin honeycomb sandwich construction was used for the reflector structure. The antenna has been designed, and several have been fabricated and successfully tested and qualified under simulated launch and space environments. The graphite/epoxy material was used primarily because of the weight saving over a more conventional aluminum honeycomb construction and because of its low expansion characteristics. The low coefficient of thermal expansion of the graphite composite results in a dimensionally stable antenna structure under the extreme thermal environment to be encountered in this Mars mission.
Document ID
19740053086
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Stonier, R. A. (California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena Calif., United States)
Hillesland, H. L. (Philco-Ford Western Development Laboratories Palo Alto, Calif., United States)