NASA Langley self-deploying stations (1960s)

Summary of what the thread established

  • History. NASA SP-4308 chapter 9 describes the Langley AG station studies: a folding hexagon and a torus. They had stability issues, and Kennedy's Moon speech and the choice of lunar-orbit rendezvous derailed them Lampyridae, 2022-09-07; mikelepage, 2022-09-08.
  • RanulfC cited the Langley hexagonal "Self-Deploying Space Station" RanulfC, 2016-01-08.
  • Influence. The Exodus DeTA design was inspired by the Langley folding hexagon, and the Australian patent office cited it as prior art mikelepage, 2019-05-12.
  • NASA SP-4221 images Lampyridae, 2016-01-08.

Open questions

  • Which of the Langley stability problems are solved by modern active control?

Sources

Forum posts

  • Lampyridae, 2016-01-08 (reply #783, 1 like): SP-4221 images. Post.
  • RanulfC, 2016-01-08 (reply #784): Langley hexagon. Post.
  • mikelepage, 2019-05-12 (reply #1632, 3 likes): Prior art (3 likes). Post.
  • Lampyridae, 2022-09-07 (reply #1753): SP-4308 ch. 9. Post. Attachments: p278b.jpg.
  • mikelepage, 2022-09-08 (reply #1768, 1 like): Langley history. Post.

External references

  • NASA SP-4308, Spaceflight Revolution, ch. 9 (history.nasa.gov/SP-4308/ch9.htm).