Experimental studies on the mechanical properties of a woven composite material for space antenna reflector

Abstract

In this paper the results of mechanical tests of a biaxial woven composite are presented. This material was used for a new design of deployable precision space antenna reflector of large aperture. The experiments included standard tensile tests at low, normal and high temperatures, compression and shear tests. An additional nonstandard bending test was performed to determine the smallest radius of curvature that a specimen could withstand without fracture. The experiments showed the perspectives for the use of the studied composite in the reflector structure. The determined mechanical properties can be used for numerical modeling of the reflector behavior.