The ST8 SAILMAST Validation Experiment

The SAILMAST Validation Experiment employs an ultra-light graphite Coilable boom in a Scalable Architecture for the Investigation of the Load Managing Attributes of a Slender Truss. The investigation will validate the strength and stiffness attributes of versatile gossamer boom technology through correlation of inflight measurement with analytical prediction. Successful flight validation of deployable gossamer truss technology is a critical step forward in risk mitigation to make gossamer spacecraft systems a reality, enabling new classes of missions. Propellantless propulsion (solar sailing), large aperture sensors, and applications not yet conceived will be made feasible through the validation of this fundamental building block of gossamer structure. Analysis tools and techniques have been developed, correlated, and scaled to the proposed experiment system in order to predict on-orbit behavior and verify the suitability of measurement range and accuracy to ensure a successful, informative flight validation experiment.