Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE)
A large antenna, carried aboard the Space Shuttle, deployed on the Spartan
207 platform, then inflated in orbit. This experiment laid the groundwork
for future inflatable structures in space such as telescopes and satellite
antennas. IAE was developed by L'Garde, Inc. of Tustin, California, a small
aerospace firm, under contract to JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Once
in low Earth orbit, the Spartan served as a platform for the antenna which,
when inflated, was about the size of a tennis court. First the IAE struts
were inflated, followed by the reflector canopy. High-resolution video photography
recorded the shape and smoothness of the reflector surface over a single
orbit. Finally the antenna was jettisoned from the Spartan platform and
disintegrated as it fell through the atmosphere
| shuttle deployment |
May 20, 1996 |
| shuttle mission |
STS-77 |
| orbit |
180 × 201 km × 39.1° |
Related category
• SATELLITES
AND SPACE PROBES
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