Madhav Sonkusare

Solar Sail Deployment Mechanism

A boom deployer for the MIRAS solar sail mission as a conceptual design competition. One spur gear turns four spools, and spring-loaded arms keep each carbon-fibre coil tight as it pays out.

RoleConcept Design

  • 3rd place · CAST design challenge, MAHE 2025
  • Four CFRP tape-spring booms
  • One drive, four spools
Solar Sail Deployment Mechanism, with its four booms extended

INSIDE THE CUBESAT

Four spools, one drive.

Packed for launch.

Four coiled CFRP booms and a shared drive, carried inside a 3U CubeSat.

THE DEPLOYER / PARTS AND MATERIALS
The deployer with its CFRP booms highlighted.

Structure

Two aluminium plates hold every spindle, arm and guide. Screws fix the boom roots, guides and tensioners.

  1. Top plateAluminium
  2. Bottom plateAluminium
  3. FastenersStainless and alloy steel

Four spools

Each boom root is bolted to its own spindle. Two flanges keep the coiled CFRP tape seated as it turns.

  1. SpindleAluminium
  2. Top flangeAluminium
  3. Bottom flangeAluminium
  4. Tape-spring boomsCFRP

One drive

A central 48-tooth gear turns four 32-tooth spool gears, so all four booms leave at the same rate.

  1. Drive gearsSpur drive

Tension control

Torsion springs press pivoted arms on the outer layer of each coil. Rollers guide the tape out.

  1. Tensioner armsAluminium
  2. Torsion springsSteel
  3. Boom guide rollersPEEK

Watch the booms deploy.

One drive. Four spools.

A central spur gear turns four independent spools together, keeping the boom release coordinated.

Boom out
0.00 m
Coil
Ø34.7 mm
Spool turns
0.0
STOWEDScroll to deploy

DESIGNED FOR MIRAS

A concept study with Barani Ilango B.
Third place in the CAST design challenge at MAHE, 2025.

CAD concept
No hardware testing

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