Wyvern Incorporated
Lightweight Composite Mechanisms Enabling Deployable Optical Earth Observation Payloads — The proposed project advances Wyvern’s proprietary deployable optics technology wherein optical components of an Earth observation (EO) payload are stowed compactly on launch and unfurled in orbit. The smaller, lighter resultant payload minimizes cost of launch. This enables cost-efficient collection of high-quality hyperspectral imagery – imagery with a large number of bands – of the Earth. Project objectives include design, test, and characterization of lightweight composite material mechanisms for deployment of optical surfaces and accompanying baffling. This project will improve the space-readiness of these components aimed for use in a future generation of Wyvern satellites.