Multibody Analysis and Model Validation for Tiltable Secondary Structures for Space Application

The Artemis program, aimed at the return of humans to the Moon by 2024, has set the stage for a new era of space exploration and colonization. At the forefront of this effort, there is the Lunar Gateway, the future Space Station that will orbit around the Moon. I-HAB is one of the inhabited pressurized modules of which the Gateway consists and it is currently under development by Thales Alenia Space in Turin. The work focuses on the internal tiltable secondary structures of I-HAB. In the introduction, there is a brief overview of the Lunar Gateway and the Artemis program. Later, it explains how the tiltable Panel A1 inside the module works and the problems encountered in its design. Then, this work provides a theoretical description of the Finite Element Method and Multi-Body analysis used. Next, Panel A1 of I-HAB will be introduced in detail along with its multibody analysis of the tilting. The panel is equipped with various electronic components and their wires harness is an obstacle to the Panel's tilt, both in terms of force exerted on it and occupied volume. The following chapters describe the Test Specification for evaluating the cables force applied on the panel and the design and validation of the "Drag Chain". This solution aims to contain the volume and displacements of wires during lift-off and allow proper tilting during the in-orbit phase. Later, an alternative mechanical solution to tilt the panel based on bevel gears and power screw will be provided, along with its validation. Future developments and conclusions will be provided in the final section.