Origami in Space

How would you power a vehicle in space? Satellites, space telescopes, and other spacecraft need energy to work, but batteries and other fuels are heavy, making them expensive to launch. One solution is to use lighter solar panels that can harvest the sun's energy. But the solar panels need to spread really wide to catch enough of the sun's rays. How can engineers fit really wide solar panels into the skinny rockets they launch into space? 

NASA Engineer Brian Trease found a solution inspired by his childhood hobby: origami. For hundreds of years, people have been folding paper to make interesting and beautiful shapes and sculpture. Brian realized he could use origami techniques to fold large solar panels to fit inside a rocket! 

Brian worked with other engineers and an origami master to create a prototype (a first draft) of the design. By folding the solar panels, the prototype makes them nine times smaller so they can fit more easily inside a rocket. Once in space, the panels will unfold to catch the sun's rays. The engineers will continue testing their ideas until they are ready to launch their final design into space!

Click the image below to see the solar panels unfolding and learn more about them:

What can YOU design that combines art and engineering? Submit your ideas in the Design section.