Abstract: Flexible, lightweight reflective sheets are positioned to concentrate solar radiation upon spacecraft solar panels. The sheets are positioned with inner and outer spring members which urge each sheet towards a planar configuration and further urge the sheet in a rotation away from a solar panel face. Restraint members in the form of tethers limit this rotation to place the sheet in a deployed position in which it defines an angle with the panel to reflect solar radiation onto the panel face. The increased incident radiation permits a reduction of the number of solar cells with consequent savings in spacecraft cost and weight. The spring members are configured to permit rotation to a stowed position behind the solar panel. In this position, the tethers are received into guides which are configured to initiate automatic deployment of the spring members and their reflective sheets.

Abstract: A reflector system for a solar wing is provided in which adjacent reflector panels are inhibited from relative movement by coupling tethers. Each reflector panel rotates to be in a stored position adjacent a backface of a respective solar panel. From this stored position, each reflector panel then rotates to be in a deployed position in which it forms a reflection angle with a solar cell face of the respective solar panel. Because of the inhibition of the tethers, the reflector panels deploy together so that one of them does not move past another of them and damage its reflection surface. Upon deployment of a solar wing, a set of spring-biased reflector sheets are automatically urged to cover respective apertures which facilitate installation of restraint structures that maintain the solar wing in its stored configuration.

Abstract: Flexible, lightweight reflective sheets are positioned to concentrate solar radiation upon spacecraft solar panels. The sheets are held with inner and outer spring members which urge each sheet from a gathered edge-stowed configuration towards a deployed, planar configuration. The outer spring members further urge each fully extended sheet to rotate about an axis along the panel's edge in a direction away from the solar panel's face. Restraint members in the form of tethers limit this rotation to place the sheet in a stable deployed position and orientation chosen by design to reflect solar radiation onto the panel face. The increased incident radiation permits a reduction of the number of solar cells needed to satisfy a power requirement, and allows consequent savings in spacecraft cost and weight.