Preliminary Design and Numerical Validation of a Solar Sail Deployment Mechanism for Planetary Sunshade Precursor Missions

This research introduces the preliminary design and numerical validation of a Solar Sail Deployment Mechanism (SSDM) developed as a key subsystem for planetary sunshade precursor missions. The discussion highlights the main design drivers and practical challenges associated with deploying ultra-thin, highly reflective membranes in space, with particular attention to scalability constraints. Key aspects of the SSDM are examined, including material selection, mechanical architecture, electrical sizing, sail folding patterns through Origami, and the geometric accommodation of all components in both stowed and fully deployed configurations. Also, the role of CubeSat platforms is discussed, highlighting their potential to provide cost-effective and rapid-development solutions for the demonstration and maturation of solar sail deployment technologies. Subsequently, it is shown how the deployment concept is realized in practice, illustrating the wrapping selected tape-spring booms around a central rotating hub and their coupling with a scaled solar sail featuring a geometric scaling factor of 1:3.8. A fully functional ground prototype is introduced, experimentally tested to demonstrate reliable and repeatable deployment without structural damage or membrane tearing. Finally, a numerical model is presented to assess boom stresses and sail strain distributions following deployment, accounting for external disturbances such as the momentum transfer of sunlight photons acting on exposed structural components.