International Space Station (ISS) Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) Spaceflight Experiment Mission and Results

Deployable Space Systems, Inc., (DSS) Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) is a new flexible-blanket technology that achieves ultra-high performance and affordability for end-users. Recently, in June 2017, a spaceflight demonstration mission of the ROSA solar array funded by the U.S. Air Force was conducted on the International Space Station (ISS). The 7-day long mission was specifically structured to validate functional deployment, deployed dynamics behavior and deployed stiffness, deployed thermal / dimensional stability, stowed vibration survivability, retraction and re-deployment, photovoltaic power production and on-orbit operating temperature. Results from the highly successful spaceflight mission confirmed all key performance metrics for validating functional deployment, deployed dynamics, vibration survivability, retraction and redeployment, dimensional stability, and power production. The mission also validated many detailed analytical models that are being applied towards future mission applications. The mission success has resulted in a flight ready status of the ROSA technology and has enabled many commercial infusion implementations.