Origami and Spacecraft Structures: Current Work and a Brief History

5:00 P.M. Lecture
4:30 P.M. Reception

Seating is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis.

Abstract:

The mathematics, physics, and engineering of origami is a thriving field of academic research. We will discuss the origin and the maturation of the formal study of paper folding. Of the many applications of origami, this talk will focus on the design of deployable elements for spacecraft. Using specific examples from current work at JPL on starshades and solar arrays, this talk will highlight recent advances in origami engineering and its application to unfoldable spacecraft structures.

Speaker's Biography:

Manan Arya is a Technologist in the Advanced Deployable Structures group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. His research interests include large unfoldable origami-inspired structures, ultrathin composite materials, and thin-membrane structures. He received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology in 2016.