• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.69-75
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• 2018

In this study, we proposed a nylon wire cutting-type solar panel separation mechanism for CubeSat applications using spring-loaded pogo-pins, which has been widely used as temporary electrical interface between two separate electronics. The mechanism proposed in this study has great advantages of higher holding capability, ability to constrain along in-plane and out-of-plane directions of solar panels, simplicity in tightening of nylon wire and synchronous separation of multiple panels. In addition, the pogo-pins used for the proposed mechanism act as electrical power interface, separation status switch and separation spring. In this study, the functionality of the proposed mechanism was validated through the separation tests with various number of nylon wire windings.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.94-102
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• 2023

A nylon wire holding and release mechanism (HRM) has been widely used for deployable applications of CubeSat owing to its simplicity and low cost. In general, structural safety of solar panel with an HRM has been designed by performing structural analysis under a launch environment. However, previous studies have not performed thermal analysis for HRM in an on-orbit environment. In this study, Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) thermal analysis was performed to evaluate thermal stability of the mechanism in the orbital thermal environment of the pogo pin-based HRM applied to CubeSat. In addition, the effectiveness of the thermal design and performance of the pogo pin-based HRM were verified through a thermal vacuum test.