Neutral Buoyancy Test Evaluation Of Hardware And Extravehicular Activity Procedures For On Orbit Assembly Of A 14 Meter Precision Reflector

A procedure that enables astronauts in extravehicular activity (EVA) to perform efficient on-orbit assembly of large paraboloidal precision reflectors is presented. The procedure and associated hardware are verified in simulated Og (neutral buoyancy) assembly tests of a 14 m diameter precision reflector mockup. The test article represents a precision reflector having a reflective surface which is segmented into 37 individual panels. The panels are supported on a doubly curved tetrahedral truss consisting of 315 struts. The entire truss and seven reflector panels were assembled in three hours and seven minutes by two pressure-suited test subjects. The average time to attach a panel was two minutes and three seconds. These efficient assembly times were achieved because all hardware and assembly procedures were designed to be compatible with EVA assembly capabilities. Heard, Walter L., Jr. and Lake, Mark S. Langley Research Center NASA-TM-107735, NAS 1.15:107735 RTOP 506-43-41-02...