Table 1. SFU System Performance Characteristics. (1) High power beam ejection. The energetics missions grouped here include high power experiments ejecting beams of electron, plasma, microwave and laser. Such operations can be carried out only by the unmanned platform without threatening the safety of and with little impact on the STS. The manned STS co-orbiting in the proximity of the platform will provide the services of the communication link via TDRS, the tracking, and the remote monitoring by crew attendance. (2) Interactive experiments between SFU and STS. Two types of operation are common in the energetics experiments. (a) Excitation-detection mode for SEPAC, EPEX, and METT: The disturbance is generated by ejecting the beams into the surroundings from the SFU. The spatial and temporal variations of the propagating disturbance is monitored by diagnostic probes onboard either the SFU or the STS. (b) Transmission-reception mode for METT and SLEX: The high power microwave and laser beams emitted from the generators onboard the SFU is received by the antennas or optics mounted on the subsatellites. Due to the high power in these operations, the beams are prohibited to be directed towards the STS. Two-Dimensional Array Deployment The term ‘2-d deployable' means the array can be deployed in x and y directions simultaneously. At present, the deployment mechanism for a lightweight solar cell array usually operates in one direction. That is, the array is stabilized by tension applied in that longitudinal direction. In such a construction, it is difficult to apply the tension in the lateral direction. Therefore, there is the limit for the lateral width of a blanket. As a result, the area of the array is, in practice, proportional to the weight of the deployable mast. The array is the system which should essentially be a planar structure, while the current solar array systems are linear structures. Without doubt, the two-dimensionally deployable array, if such is possible, is most desirable. It is especially so, as the size of the array increases. The possibility of such an array was suggested by Miura [4]. In the following, the essence of the concept is described along the development of study. Experimental Objectives The verification of the effectiveness of tension-stabilized large planar space structures in space is the main purpose of this experiment. Such structures are necessary for future space systems such as a large solar cell array, a solar sail, a solar reflector
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