An 11-meter deployable truss for the SEASAT radar antenna

A folding three dimensional truss and tripod assembly which deploys the SEASAT Synthetic Aperture Radar Antenna is described. The folding structure with the antenna panels and rf components stows in an 8.5-inch-thick package. Upon deployment, the structure produced is a flat and rigid support for the antenna

System for the measurement of ultra-low stray light levels

An apparatus is described for measuring the effectiveness of stray light suppression light shields and baffle arrangements used in optical space experiments and large space telescopes. The light shield and baffle arrangement and a telescope model are contained in a vacuum chamber. A source of short, high-powered light energy illuminates portions of the light shield and baffle arrangement and reflects a portion of same to a photomultiplier tube by virtue of multipath scattering. The resulting signal is transferred to time-channel electronics timed by the firing of the high energy light source allowing time discrimination of the signal thereby enabling the light scattered and suppressed by the model to be distinguished from the walls and holders around the apparatus