Natural Frequencies and Mode Shapes of Prestressed Elastically Foldable Flat Arrays

Large, lightweight deployable structures are key enablers for next-generation space systems, but reliable prediction of their natural frequencies remains difficult when ultra-Thin components, geometric nonlinearity, and prestress interact at scale. This paper investigates the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a representative fully deployed SSPP-inspired array segment using a refined CUF-based beam model. The study focuses on the undeformed deployed configuration and on one representative prestressed case introduced through a prescribed displacement. The results highlight the persistence of the fundamental global mode shape and the sensitivity of higher modes to prestress-induced mode reordering. A qualitative comparison with the literature is also provided.