Abstract: A flexible rotary coupling is provided to transfer rotary power across the wingfold access of a folding wing aircraft. The flexible rotary coupling has a step-up gear box on the inboard wing section to increase the rotational velocity of the flexible coupling. The outboard wing section has a step-down gear box to decrease the rotational velocity of the flexible coupling to that of the step-up gear box input. In this way, substantial rotational power can be transferred across the wingfold axis through the flexible coupling axis with a thin, highly flexible shaft. A guide mechanism is provided to store excess shaft length when the wing is in the unfolded (i.e., straight) position.

Abstract: A method for deploying an airtight envelope (8) around an object (1) comprising providing a cylindrical, elongated envelope with two mutually opposite poles (3, 9) at each of its ends, inverting this envelope on itself and longitudinally pleating it accordion-wise when in this inverted position, the pole (9) of this envelope (8) being in the inverted part and being solidly joined to the object (1), the opposite pole (3) being connected to the object (1) by a link mast (2) comprising a cylindrical balloon initially in the deflated state, the deployment of the envelope (8) comprising inflating the link mast until it is full, then inflating the envelope (8) until it is full and at which time it will be deployed around the object (1).

Abstract: A mounting structure for securing a payload such as a telescope or other sensitive optical bench, to a spacecraft, in such a manner that accleration loads are transferred to the telescope in a normal manner, but deformations in the spacecraft are isolated from the telescope. The mounting structure includes two trunnion supports and two keel supports, arranged to isolate the telescope from deformations caused by thermal gradients or other phenomena.