Historical Perspectives on the Development of Deployable Reflectors

Until new physics are discovered, operating in space will require exploitation of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spacecraft employ it for vital mission support operations including power generation and communication, as well as primary payload functions such as imaging and radar. Reflective parabolic surfaces are key elements in these systems because they allow the energy density of an electromagnetic beam to be increased 10s to 1000s of times. The ubiquity of reflectors for such a broad range of applications has resulted in continuous and ongoing development of larger, higher precision and lower cost reflector systems. This paper examines the history of these developments, focusing specifically on space deployed reflectors for which U.S. Patents have been issued. I