Booms
In space and astronautical engineering, booms refer to long, slender, and rigid structures that extend from a spacecraft or satellite. Booms are used for various purposes such as deploying antennas, solar panels, and scientific instruments away from the main body of the spacecraft to avoid interference. Booms can be made of different materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, or Kevlar, and can be either fixed or deployable. Deployable booms are usually stored in a compact form during launch and then extended in space using various mechanisms such as springs, motors, or pyrotechnics. The deployment process is critical and requires careful planning and testing to ensure that the booms are deployed correctly and do not damage the spacecraft or satellite. Booms are essential components of many space missions and have been used in various spacecraft and satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Parker Solar Probe.
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