Development of the Deployable HF Vector Sensor for the AERO-VISTA Spacecraft

The Auroral Emissions Radio Observer (AERO) and Vector Interferometry Space Technology using AERO (VISTA) CubeSat missions will use two identical 6U CubeSats developed to measure HF auroral emissions from Low Earth Orbit for NASA’s Space Mission Directorate (SMD) for Heliophysics. Each CubeSat employs a unique antenna, called a Vector Sensor Antenna (VSA), to measure all six electromagnetic degrees of freedom of incoming HF radiation via a combination of loop, dipole and monopole antennas. The VSA payload stows into a compact volume within the 6U spacecraft, and through a series of deployments, makes a 4 m by 4 m by 2.3 m antenna array. The relatively large antenna element deployment from such a small initial volume is achieved using fiberglass composite tape springs which unroll to form the antenna elements. These tape springs fall into a class of structural elements called High Strain Composites, which are becoming more commonly used in space missions. This paper describes the development, integration and testing of the AERO-VISTA VSA payload prototype.