TY - JFULL AU - Zane Brough and Claudio Paoloni PY - 2015/2/ TI - Advanced Deployable/Retractable Solar Panel System for Satellite Applications T2 - International Journal of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering SP - 156 EP - 162 VL - 9 SN - 1307-6892 UR - https://publications.waset.org/pdf/10000589 PU - World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology NX - Open Science Index 97, 2015 N2 - Modern low earth orbit (LEO) satellites that require multi-mission flexibility are highly likely to be repositioned between different operational orbits. While executing this process the satellite may experience high levels of vibration and environmental hazards, exposing the deployed solar panel to dangerous stress levels, fatigue and space debris, hence it is desirable to retract the solar array before satellite repositioning to avoid damage or failure. A novel concept of deployable/retractable hybrid solar array systemcomposed of both rigid and flexible solar panels arranged within a petal formation, aimed to provide a greater power to volume ratio while dramatically reducing mass and cost is proposed. ER -