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Abstract

Space vehicles are provided, each including a body and a solar panel array system. The body has a longitudinal axis and a plurality of body portions. Adjacent body portions are hinged to one another about a respective body hinge axis to enable the body portions to be selectively pivoted about the respective body hinge axes with respect to one another from an undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration. In the undeployed configuration the body has a first length dimension along a reference axis, and in the deployed configuration the body has a second length dimension along the reference axis. The second length dimension is greater than first length dimension. The solar panel system includes at least two panel sets. Each panel set has at least one solar panel, each panel set being movably mounted to one of the body portions and being selectively deployable from a stowed configuration to an extended configuration. In the stowed configuration the at least one panel of each respective panel set is in circumferentially overlapping relationship with an outside of the body, and in the extended configuration, the panels are projecting away from the respective the body portion. Methods for deploying a space vehicle are also provided.

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First Claim