Abstract
A Gossamer Deorbiter system, comprising a 5×5 m gossamer sail structure and a telescopic deployment system to distance the sail from the host satellite, was tested and qualified to TRL5/6. Two novel deployable boom concepts were developed: lenticular CuBe tape spring booms and bistable CFRP booms. Deployment tests identified the issue of ‘blossoming’ of the coiled booms, resulting in an unpredictable deployment and potential damage to the booms. Modifications to the mechanism design and deployment procedure were introduced to mitigate this issue. The CFRP boom concept was demonstrated to successfully deploy the gossamer sail to its full dimensions, and to be capable of carrying the expected operational loads.