A hybrid soft material robotic end-effector for reversible in-space assembly of strut components.

Based on the NASA in-Space Assembled Telescope (iSAT) study (Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 2019, 51, 50) which details the design and requirements for a 20-m parabolic in-space telescope, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been developing structural and robotic solutions to address the needs of building larger in-space assets. One of the structural methods studied involves stackable and collapsible modular solutions to address launch vehicle volume constraints. This solution uses a packing method that stacks struts in a dixie-cup like manner and a chemical composite bonding technique that reduces weight of the structure, adds strength, and offers the ability to de-bond the components for structural modifications.