The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is currently operating with two flexible solar arrays (or 'wings'), referred to as SA2, that were installed during Servicing Mission 1. These flexible solar arrays are to be replaced with two rigid solar arrays, SA3, during Servicing Mission 3B which is currently scheduled for May, 2001. The key requirements for these arrays are to: (1) increase long term power to support the HST mission, (2) improve the jitter performance while maintaining stability margin requirements, and (3) withstand re-boost loads without astronaut or ground intervention. Analysis of the original SA3 design showed that the Pointing Control System (PCS) stability margin requirements would be violated because of the modal characteristics of the SA3 fundamental bending modes. One of the options to regain the stability margins was to increase the damping of these modes. Damping of 1.5% of critical of the SA3 fundamental bending modes, at the HST system level, is needed to meet stability margin requirements. Therefore, the development of a discrete damping device was undertaken to provide adequate damping of the SA3 fundamental bending modes for all operational conditions.
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