Additive Manufacturing of a Deployable Monolithic Camera Cover for Planetary Exploration

Camera covers are mechanisms commonly used to protect optical instruments during the launch and landing of a spacecraft. The mechanisms have two basic functions: protect optics from foreign objects and debris while stowed and move out of the camera’s field of view when deployed. Mechanisms of this sort are easily over engineered, with the final assembly consisting of dozens of piece-parts. This project presents a design that takes advantage of additive manufacturing to combine components, including flexures that deploy the cover. The proposed design would decrease part count and cost while maintaining the function and reliability of traditional camera cover mechanisms. As part of the development of the design, the performance of printed nylon and Ti-6Al-4V springs were tested and compared to analytical values.