Abstract: A transmission for folding out the solar cell panels (3 through 7) folded in an accordion-like manner on a spacecraft (1) has cable pulleys (22 through 27) at the hinges (9 through 14), around pairs of which pulleys endless cables (29 through 33) are wound. To adapt its change in length during temperature changes to the change in the length of the panels (3 through 7) and to increase its rigidity to elongation, the cable (29 through 33) is provided with a plastic sheathing (47, 48) firmly connected to same outside the area of the cable pulleys (22 through 27).

Abstract: A solar generator for use in satellites or spacecraft includes a plurality of solar cells mounted on a support structure panel. The support structure panel includes a honeycomb cell structure core (4) sandwiched between a bottom cover skin (5) and a top cover skin (2). Vibration damping elements (11) are incorporated and bonded into the honeycomb core, and vibration damping film strips (10) are adhesively bonded onto an outer surface of at least one of the outer cover skins. The damping elements (11) respectively include a damping ring (13) made of an elastomeric material, between inner and outer structural rings (14, 12), whereby the outer ring is bonded to the honeycomb core and the inner ring provides a mounting location. The damping film strips are positioned at locations of maximum vibrational excitation in the panel due to noise pressure loading.

Abstract: A wheel, especially a disk wheel has six components, namely, two mirror-setrical hub sections, a wheel rim, two bending resistant wheel disks and a thrust and/or shear resistant body enclosed by the rim, by the two hub sections, and by the two wheel disks whereby metal components and fiber composite material components are bonded to one another to form the wheel. The materials of these components are selected for three purposes, to simplify the construction, to optimize the strength characteristics of the wheel, and to greatly increase the wheel's ability to dampen vibrations. The hub sections and rim are made of metal, the disks are made of fiber compound material and the enclosed body is made of metal or fiber compound material all held together by an adhesive bond. The hub sections have radially extending flanges which intermesh with the radially inner edge of the wheel disks in a multilayer fashion. The thrust and/or shear resistant body has preferably a honeycomb type structure.