Overview of NASA's Adaptive Structures program

Abstract

NASA's recent progress in Adaptive Structures is reviewed using results from both experimental and flight hardware test programs. Particular attention is given to testbeds, structural deployment/assembly, structural linearization, static shape/position adjustment, on-orbit system identification, and vibration suppression. It is concluded that a very rapid transition of research in Adaptive Structures to applications has occurred in the past five years. Adaptive Structures provide tools for increasing the robustness of structural design.