CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is the U.S. National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2017/039088, filed Oct. 30, 2017, which was published in English under PCT Article 21(2). The disclosure of International Application No. PCT/JP2017/039088 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a reflector, and a deployable antenna and spacecraft using the reflector.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, reflectors for deployable antennas mounted on spacecraft such as artificial satellites are compactly stored during transportation or not in use and deployed when in use to be used for communication, as typified by reflectors for portable antennas and satellite mounted antennas. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes that in a deployable antenna which supports a cable network functioning as an antenna reflection surface with a deployable truss, the deployable truss can be stored and deployed using a sliding hinge.

CITATION LIST

Patent Document

Patent Literature 1: JP 2005-086698 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Based on the above-described technology, the present disclosure provides, in various embodiments, a reflector that can be deployed by a simpler method, and a deployable antenna and spacecraft using the reflector.

Solution to Problem

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, provided is “a reflector, comprising: a hub having a cross section formed in a circular, elliptical or polygonal shape; a plurality of ribs, each of which has an inner side surface facing an outer peripheral side of the hub when folded, and an outer side surface that is a surface opposite to the inner side surface, the plurality of ribs being folded so as to be wound around an outer periphery of the hub such that the inner side surface of each rib and the outer side surface of its adjacent rib partially touch each other or the outer side surface of each rib and the inner side surface of its adjacent rib partially touch each other, each rib being deployed in a parabolic shape from a bottom end connected to the hub toward a tip end located opposite to the bottom end; and a sheet installed across each of the plurality of ribs and capable of reflecting radio waves”.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, provided is “a deployable antenna comprising: a reflector; and a radiator that emits radio waves to the sheet of the reflector”.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, provided is “spacecraft, comprising: a reflector; a radiator that emits radio waves to the sheet of the reflector; a control device that generates information for transmission by the radio waves; and a power supply device that supplies electric power required to drive the radiator and the control device”.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a reflector that can be deployed by a simpler method, and a deployable antenna and spacecraft using the reflector.

Additionally, the above effects are merely exemplary for convenience of description, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In addition to or in place of the above-described effects, any of the effects described in the present disclosure and effects obvious to those skilled in the art can be obtained.

