NASA Langley Pioneers Vertical Testing of Long Composite Booms

Researchers at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, have devised a way to leverage gravity to their advantage when testing long, flexible composite booms intended for space applications. In a recent campaign inside a 100-foot tower at NASA Langley, they suspended a 94-foot triangular, rollable, and collapsible boom built by Redwire, a Florida-based aerospace firm. By applying various forces, they examined the boom's behavior under real-world conditions.

Conducting these tests vertically avoids the need for horizontal supports that counteract gravity, which can introduce mechanical influences that affect the boom's natural response. This vertical testing approach is crucial because NASA and commercial space companies envision these lightweight composite booms serving as deployable solar sails or supporting structures-such as towers for solar panels-that could aid astronauts living and working on the Moon.

Redwire will compare the data from NASA Langley's tests with its own numerical models to improve its hardware's accuracy and performance. The tests were supported by NASA's Game Changing Development program within the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate.